


Lost And Found

by Skye_Willows



Series: Mortality's Coil [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate End to Cyberlife Tower, Character Death (I'm sorry Connor!), F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hank Anderson-centric, Multiple Characters Deaths, Other, Post-Peaceful Ending, Suicidal Hank, lots of angst and feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-05-31 22:38:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15129275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_Willows/pseuds/Skye_Willows
Summary: He swore when he lost his son that he wouldn't ever open his heart again. Now Hank is reliving his worst nightmare...and there's not a damn thing he can do to change it. The pain is all the worse the second time around.Now alone in the post-uprising world, Hank struggles to find the will to survive.Except dying isn't an option anymore, not when Connor sacrificed himself to give his people this chance.He swears to help Markus make it the world Connor dreamed of.





	1. Reliving The Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> This story is meant to be a tear-jerker, I am warning you all now. I am utterly in love with D:BH, Connor and Hank in particular. Which is why I hate myself for having this idea...
> 
> Tissue warning, people!

Hank couldn't help but swear internally as he found himself trapped in an elevator with a shitting copy of his partner, gun trained on his every move. The Lieutenant hadn't thought anything much when Connor had turned up at his place earlier that night, saying there was something he needed Hank's help for. To be honest, the older man was just relieved to see the android unharmed. When he'd heard that Connor was going to Jericho and had seen the news reports of the aftermath…He struggled admit it to himself, but he'd been terrified for the kid.

 _Kid…_ Hank cursed himself as the word replayed in his mind. He'd only known Connor for a week, but somehow, in that time, the android had manged to shatter all the barriers he had erected around himself following his son's death. His anger at the world – androids in particular – and his determination to keep everything out of his heart had crumbled during his time with Connor. He was…Hank didn't know how to describe him, but he was the farthest thing from what he had considered an android.

Oh sure, when Connor had first appeared Hank would have quite happily tossed him off a roof or two. Things began to change when Connor had saved him during that chase with Rupert. Hank had been surprised when Connor changed course and pulled him back to safety without much thought, given how the android seemed so dedicated to his mission of hunting deviants. That was when Hank realised there was much more to Connor than any other android he'd met.

Then Connor had pulled him out of one of the many black holes of obliteration he found himself in nowadays. While he hadn't taken kindly to having the android break into his house and slap him awake when all he wanted was to drown in his sorrows and booze, he had appreciated the way Connor guided him back towards some vague semblance of normality. Not that Hank really knew what that was for him nowadays. As he had later thought over the events of that night, Hank realised that was when his feelings towards Connor had truly began to change.

Connor had chosen to not shoot the Tracis, despite knowing they were deviants. Seeing the conflict within the android had begun to stir something within him, and that only grew after their confrontation at the bridge. Confusion and drunkenness had driven Hank to point his gun at Connor, desperate to see whether the suspicion building in his mind had foundation. When Connor had confessed that he didn't want to die, Hank began to see the truth long before Connor did.

The android was becoming the very thing he had been designed to hunt. Seeing that change had fostered something protective in Hank, a feeling he hadn't known since-

Throughout the rest of their journey Hank had watched Connor carefully, seeing all the small evolutions of the… _man_ Hank had come to be so fond of. His heart had almost leapt out of his chest when Connor chased down the deviant on the roof of the Stratford Tower: Hank had relived the moment that bullets went flying past Connor way too often in his mind. When he'd linked with it, seeing Connor so distressed had left Hank's heart in turmoil. He wanted to comfort him…but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Knowing it was best to leave him to sort through the discovery of those emotions on his own, Hank had let it lie. He'd seen enough in Connor's face and eyes to know what changes that moment would bring about.

And then Kamski's place had happened. Hank had never been so proud, nor felt such empathy for the android. Seeing Connor refuse to shoot the Chloe proved the theory in Hank's mind, but he knew Connor was now walking a dangerous path. It was only a matter of time before Connor learned the truth.

Hank wished he'd seen him before he went to Jericho, to finally set things straight with Connor. To get him to face the truth that had been there for days: he was a deviant, but he'd simply been unaware of it. Connor had shown more humanity than many of the  _humans_ Hank had known over his whole life. Going to Jericho would make him face a choice unlike any other, and Hank wanted to make sure the android was ready for it. Even admitting he'd been concerned about Connor took a great deal of effort, but Hank was fed up of pretending.

He cared about Connor. Somehow, he'd managed to worm his way into that gaping wound in his heart and settle there with ease. When he looked at Connor…he could see flashes of Cole, of the man he could have been. Who Hank would have wanted him to be.

Which is why the police lieutenant was so furious with himself for falling for this stupid trap. He'd known something was off with Connor the moment he'd seen him, but he just didn't put two and two together. Not until it was too late. The other android's statement when it revealed itself had cut right down to Hank's bones, and he couldn't get the words out of his head.

_**I have a mission, Lieutenant, and you are going to help me accomplish it. The other Connor must be destroyed, and you are the key to making it happen.** _

The elevator descended quickly into the warehouse and Hank's chest constricted painfully as he saw the lone figure walking down the central aisle. Even from this distance, he was unmistakeable.

_Shitting fuck, Connor. He really did it, he became a true deviant. I_ _**can't** _ _let this bastard hurt him._

Hank absently wondered just when he'd started calling Connor 'he' rather than 'it'. He hadn't noticed until now.

As the elevator stopped the android Connor gestured with the gun, and Hank was so tempted to just stand there and take the shot to protect  _his_ Connor. Sadly, that wasn't something the android was willing to accept and it shoved him forward harshly, guiding him towards the right place. Hank shouted back at it but there wasn't much else he could do. Every step guided them closer to Connor and Hank wished he could do anything to buy his partner more time. Hank could see him grasping at one of the androids which were immobile along the multitude of rows and columns and tried to slow down, but the copycat was wise to his plan. It gave another forceful shove, and Hank tumbled forward just that bit too far. "Easy, fucking piece of shit!" he snapped, but it was too late. Connor heard him and turned, stopping what he was doing to see the commotion going on to his right.

Hank watched as Connor's eyes widened in recognition and he swore at seeing the flickers of emotion within.  _Shit, kid, I'm sorry. I fucking screwed up._ "Step back, Connor! And I'll spare him," the copycat demanded.

"Sorry, Connor… This bastard's your spitting image," Hank shouted, but he meant it as a genuine apology. His eyes locked with Connor's again and he could see the conflicting feelings plain as day. Now that Connor was a full deviant he could be read just like a human and Hank internally swore. It was no accident that the android was using him as leverage: it somehow knew Connor cared.

The android continued as Connor hesitated. "Your friend's life is in your hands, Connor. Now it's time to decided what matters most. Him…" It didn't miss as Hank and Connor shared a heavy look, "or the revolution."

Hank saw Connor's indecision and knew he had to keep the kid on track: this was so much bigger than them. "Don't listen to him, everything this fucker says is a lie!"

Connor looked apologetic as he spoke back. "I'm sorry, Hank. You never should have gotten mixed up in all this!"

The older man gave a barely perceptible shake of the head. "Forget about me, do what you have to do!"  _Come on, Connor. I'm ready for death, I can take it, I've been doing this fucking dance with it for longer than I can remember. Don't sacrifice it all for me._ Connor wasn't willing to give in that easily though and appealed to the android to see beyond the programming.  _Don't waste your breath, kid. This bastard ain't you._

The android was rapidly losing patience and it took a step closer to Hank, pressing the gun right to his temple. "Enough talk! It's time to decide who you really are. Are you going to save your partner's life?" Connor and Hank didn't break their gaze as it continued speaking. "Or are you going to sacrifice him?"

Connor didn't hesitate and stepped away from the androids.  _Shit, no! Connor!_ "All right, all right! You win…" Hank knew what was coming and swung out to catch the gun as the copycat moved to shoot Connor.  _No way, you piece of shit!_ It bought Connor a couple of precious seconds to charge in as the android overpowered Hank, and he could only watch as the pair become locked in a fist fight. Punches and kicks flew at a speed Hank could barely keep up with watching, let alone were he in the middle of it.

Seeing that they were evenly matched, Hank rushed over to the gun which the android had discarded and pointed it at the pair. "Hold it!" he shouted, watching as the pair separated. It was only then that Hank realised he now had a huge problem.

_Fuck. Which ones which?_

The Connor which moved over to his right was the first to speak. "Thanks, Hank. I don't know how I'd have managed without you. Get rid of him, we've got no time to lose."

Hank's eyes shifted over to the other Connor, and his heart involuntarily jumped. The emotion playing out on his face made him think it was  _his_ Connor. "It's me, Hank. I'm the real Connor."

The lieutenant internally swore. He wanted to believe…but he couldn't be sure – and he didn't dare risk shooting his Connor. Hank switched his gun between the two of them a couple more times. "One of you is my partner…The other is a sack of shit. Question is, who is who?" He could see the Connor on his left looking at him pleadingly, as if begging to believe it was him, but Hank just  _couldn't_ be sure. Not yet.

"What are you doing, Hank?" Hank switched his focus to the Connor on his right. "Give me the gun and I'll take care of him!"

"Don't move!" Hank hissed, partially out of fear and partially out of anger. This was a really bad situation, and he couldn't afford to get this wrong.

The Connor on his left gave him a solution. "Why don't you ask us something, something only the real Connor would know?"

 _Goddammit that's something_ _ **my**_ _Connor would suggest._ Everything was pointing toward the one on his left being his partner, but he wasn't willing to take the chance yet. The idea was definitely not a bad one, though. Hoping to prove his suspicion right, he turned his focus to the other one, looking to trip it up. "Uh, where did we first meet?"

It answered without hesitation. "Jimmy's bar! I checked four other bars before I found you. We went to the scene of a homicide. The victim's name was Carlos Ortiz." Hank could see the other Connor wanting to jump in but didn't, and then muttered something to itself as the one he was interrogating finished its sentence. The answer gave him a slight doubt…

Hank switched over. "What's my dog's name?"  _Connor knows this without a doubt._

"Sumo. His name is Sumo."

"I knew that too!" Hank shifted his gun to the interjector, but it was a very possible reaction from his Connor.

 _This is going in fucking circles, I need a better idea._ And then it hit him.  _Wait…_

Hank turned back to who he was almost sure was his Connor and looked him dead in the eyes. "My son, what's his name?"

_Only my Connor will know this and have cared enough to learn the truth. The truth I've been running from all this time._

Connor's eyes turned sad as he answered him. "Cole. His name was Cole. And he just turned six at the time of the accident…" The pair were locked in an intense gaze as Connor continued speaking. "It wasn't your fault, Lieutenant. A truck skidded on a sheet of ice and your car rolled over. Cole needed emergency surgery but no human was available to do it, so an android had to take care of him. Cole didn't make it…" Hank's face morphed between pain, anger and acceptance as he heard the facts of his son's death spoken aloud to him for the first time where he could truly understand them with a clear head. "That's why you hate androids. You think one of us is responsible for your son's death."

The pair continued to stare at each other, so involved in their own moments of revelation that neither of them noticed the other Connor slowly reach back into its waistband. Hank let some of the stress in his shoulders go as he finally spoke aloud the truth he had been keeping inside all along. "Cole died because a human surgeon was too high on red ice to operate. He was the one who took my son from me. Him and this world, where the only comfort people can find is with a fistful of powder…"

Hank could see the empathy in Connor's eyes, could see the pain he was channelling for his lost son.  _That's my Connor all right._

They didn't notice what was happening until it was too late.

Reaching for its second, concealed gun, the android quickly drew the weapon and fired straight at Connor's chest. Hank's breath caught as he heard the shot go off and fired his own weapon in blind rage. " _No!"_  A shot was discharged and collided straight into its head. Before it dropped, however, the android turned its weapon on itself and shot straight into its chest. Hank watched in shock as it self-destructed and the carcass then fell to the floor, unmoving.

The older man watched in horror as Connor slumped forward, his right hand weakly clutching over the bullet wound in his chest. He could instantly tell Connor was in a serious condition. "Shit, Connor!" Hank exclaimed as he raced forward, catching Connor in his arms as his partner all but tumbled to the ground. His heart pounded in his chest as he felt Connor trembling in his arms.  _Fuck, I should have trusted my instincts, I should have shot that bastard sooner!_ "Connor, son?" he asked softly, begging Connor to answer him.

Connor wheezed, an involuntary response to the wound. "Hank…I-" He stopped speaking as he ran a diagnostic on his systems, the results already confirming his suspicions. The bullet had destroyed his heart…the damage was beyond repair. No doubt just as the android had intended. Connor understood its actions now. None of the androids around them had parts that were compatible with him…save for the one lying on the ground, which had just obliterated its own version of the same bio-component.

He was dying.

A timer flashed in his vision and Connor knew the end was coming. Fighting through the sudden fear at knowing he was dying, Connor swallowed hard and gripped on to Hank as tight as he could. "Hank, I need your help. Take me back over there, I need to finish what I started," he spoke with great effort, hissing as Hank helped him stumble over to the android he was working on before. "I need you to hold me upright, Hank, but I need my right arm free." The older man nodded and shifted so that Connor's left arm was resting over his shoulder while Hank kept him up with a tight grip on Connor's right hip. Connor shook his head as he desperately ignored the timer counting down his doom, pouring all his concentration into the connection which would awaken thousands of his people.

Hank watched in great concern as he felt Connor shaking with the effort, toying with demanding he stop until they get Connor fixed. About ten seconds later it was over and they both watched the LED of the android before them flash. "Wake up!" Connor begged before he gasped, his legs finally unable to take his weight any more.

Feeling his partner's strength failing, Hank grabbed a firm hold of him again and guided Connor down to the floor. "Connor!" He shifted them so that Connor was lying across his knees, staring into the face of the android he'd come to care for. Hank cradled him in his arms as he saw Connor struggling to stay awake. "Connor, stay with me! What's happening?"

Connor winced as he felt his systems begin to slowly shut down. "The damage…it's too much, Hank."

The breath froze in Hank's chest. " _What?_ Connor, you can't mean-"

"I'm dying, Hank. The other me…it destroyed the only replacement part that could have saved me. I suppose the small consolation is that it failed…they'll all be awake soon."

Hank shook his head angrily. "No. No, that can't be true. Are you telling me that with these thousands of fucking machines around us, not one of them can  _save you?!"_

Connor smiled sadly up at him. "Yes, Hank. None of them have a compatible heart…I'm-"

"Don't, Connor.  _Don't…"_ the older man choked out, unwilling to hear Connor speak about his own death so easily.  _No. Fucking God, no! This can't be happening again! I've already lost one son, I can't lose another!_ Hank swallowed back on the bile which was rising up in his throat as he tried to find his voice again. "How long…?"

The android closed his eyes briefly, warring on whether to tell Hank the truth. In the end, he decided he couldn't do it: it was bad enough that one of them was counting down. "Not that long…I'll be gone before they all wake up." Hank's heart felt like it was being stood on as he watched Connor struggle with the various sensations. "Hank…there's something I need to say."

"God, Connor, don't  _do_ this."

"I have to Hank…it's going to be the last chance I have." Connor looked at up at Hank and the older man's body went numb at what he was seeing. Connor's eyes were glistening, tears threatening to fall.  _Oh my god…I didn't know he could do that._ "Hank, working with you has been…well, it's been something. I know you don't care for androids much but- I feel privileged in having had the chance to know you, to see the man beneath all the hurt and anger. You always looked out for me, even when you didn't really like me. I'm…really glad I met you, Hank."

Hank swallowed hard on the emotion which was clogging his throat. "Oh Connor…You don't know just what you've done for me, son. You've brought me back from a dark fucking place. I learned so much from you. And this world is going be to so much worse without you in it. God Connor- you  _can't_ be dying. I can't be losing you."

Connor let a single tear fall from his left eye. "I'm-I'm scared, Hank. I don't want to die, I don't want to go."

The older man hugged him tightly for a second before pulling back as Connor jolted. "Connor?"

Seeing that he only had seconds left, Connor lifted his left hand weakly and Hank grasped it tightly. Connor could feel the tremble in his grasp and let go of his emotions fully, tears falling unchecked now. Taking a long breath, Connor gave him a faint smile. "Thank you, Hank…for everything. Please, don't give up. Life…is worth fighting for."

Hank drew in a shuddering breath as he watched Connor's face relax and his whole body went cold when he saw Connor's eyes go lifeless. "Connor?" he whispered, realising that the android was no longer grasping his hand. With a small shake of his head Hank let go of it and cupped Connor's face, his hand becoming damp with Connor's tears. "No, Connor, you can't be…Don't go, Connor. I can't-" He choked back on a repressed sob and gathered Connor in tightly, hugging his lifeless body.

_This is a nightmare, it has to be._

He didn't notice as all the androids surrounding him came to life, Connor's last act giving them freedom. All he could think of was the body lying in his arms of the person he'd come to love like a son…and he'd not even had the courage to tell Connor as he lay dying. Minutes passed in slow motion for Hank as he sat there cradling the empty shell, unable to bring himself to move. He kept thinking that it may just be a drunken nightmare, one that he would wake up from with enough time.

 _Maybe he can be uploaded to another body? Maybe he's not gone-_  He angrily closed his eyes, refusing to let tears fall.

_Who am I fucking kidding. Connor's dead. The kid died because_ _**I** _ _screwed up. Why didn't I just fucking_ _**shoot** _ _?_

He pulled back and looked at Connor's face, heart pounding painfully at the vacant expression. The dimmed LED made him feel even sicker as he closed his eyes, unable to take staring into them any longer. After more time than Hank could care to count, he sat back and gathered Connor's body into his arms.

_There's something I've got to do._

* * *

Hank didn't need to do much searching to find the rest of the deviants, the androids which Connor had freed leading him right there. He followed some distance behind the army which wandered to the camp in the heart of Detroit, watching as they all stared at the world in wonder. He guessed many of them had never even set foot outside of CyberLife before. It took about an hour of walking, but not once did he think of stopping. The weight in his arms become nothing more than an awareness as he continued his march, determined to do this one last thing for the being which had sacrificed himself for the freedom of his people.

As he knew they were getting near the camp Hank split away, approaching the plaza from a different angle. He momentarily stopped as he came to a new group of androids, but they simply stared at him as they saw Connor's lifeless body in his arms. Maybe realising that he was not a threat they stepped aside and let him pass, opening a path toward the one he was seeking.

Just outside the camp, Markus was looking at the vast army of androids which had marched to them all but lost, and he closed his eyes with a long sigh. He knew there was only one reason why they came without Connor in their numbers. As he stood in thought, Josh realised someone was approaching from their right. He turned to watch as they came closer and Josh called out to their leader softly. "Markus."

Markus turned at the calling of his name and his eyes fell upon the defeated figure of Hank, striding towards him with Connor cradled in his arms. He walked towards him, making sure not to approach too quickly as Hank came to a stop a few metres away from the rest of the deviants. They all watched as Markus approached, some with sad expressions as their leader went to the human which had brought back one of their own. Markus waited patiently as he saw Hank war within himself on what to say – he didn't know that the detective was actually trying to swallow down on the lump of emotion which was in his throat. "I couldn't just leave him there," Hank spoke shortly as he locked eyes with Markus. "He…All of these androids are free because of what  _he_ did. Connor deserves to be among his people."

With an understanding nod Markus stepped closer, holding out his arms to take Hank's burden. It took the man a few seconds to find the strength to let Connor go, the action making his death seem more final all of a sudden. Markus took him with ease, but Hank was glad to see that he still seemed to hold him carefully. The leader looked down sadly to Connor's lifeless face, wishing that it hadn't been this way. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Rest assured that Connor will never be forgotten, nor will his actions be meaningless. On this day, when we have won our freedom, he will be remembered: as will your actions here. It speaks volumes that a human brought back the body of a dead android to his people."

Hank fought back the emotions which were swirling in his mind. "I just- I wasn't going to leave him to rot in that place. I couldn't do that to him."

Understanding eyes looked over Hank's fidgeting form and Markus recognised the look in his face. Carl had once given him the same look, back when he was alive.

Unable to stand it any more Hank turned and walked away quickly, not daring to look back. It was over, his task was done. He had a date with several bottles of whisky and his revolver.

_**Please, don't give up. Life…is worth fighting for.** _

The echoes of Connor's last words played in Hank's mind as he abruptly stopped.  _Ah shit, Connor. You fucking knew, didn't you. You knew all along what I had been doing._

He stared up at the falling snow and finally let the tears which he had been fighting back fall.

_How can life be worth fighting for when I've lost all I love twice now?_


	2. The First Days

" _Hank!"_

_Hank searched around, desperately searching for the voice. It was distant, he couldn't make out anything beyond the name, but it just felt so_ _**familiar** _ _. The cry came again, but he couldn't see anything through the darkness and snow blustering all around him. It echoed around him, the wind carrying the sound as he felt snow blasting into his face. Deciding to follow his gut, he headed to his left, but stopped abruptly as another scream was carried by the howling gale._

" _Dad!"_

_His eyes widened at the much younger voice: he would know that sound anywhere._ _**Cole.** _ _"Cole! Cole, where are you?" Hank begged, scarcely able to believe he had heard his son's voice. He abruptly turned back, rushing through the onslaught of the snow before the first cry came again._

" _Hank!"_

_This time the voice was much louder, and Hank's eyes widened. "Connor? Connor!" It was coming from the exact opposite direction from his son and Hank couldn't decide which way to turn. Both of them were desperate, and he knew he had to choose. He lingered too long, however, for soon a heartrending scream of fear tore through the area. It was a sound which had haunted Hank since the day he lost his son, and he sped through the blizzard, not giving it another thought. He just_ _**had** _ _to reach him._ _**"Cole!"** _

_As Hank got closer the wind intensified, pushing him back. "No you fucking don't! Cole!" Hank tried to anchor himself to the ground as best he could, but it was no use. The storm blew him away in a fearsome gust and Hank tumbled backwards, eventually coming back to his starting point. Whimpers from his young son echoed through Hank's mind as he fought to get back up, but his attention was soon stolen by the gunshot which sounded as if it had gone off right next to Hank's head._

_The sound came from in front of him, from the direction in which Cole was crying. He had to reach them, he had to stop this. "Cole! Connor!" He fought back to his feet and used all his strength to push through, eyes squinting against the biting cold. Those steps felt like they would never end as the sounds of the two people he cared about most became even fainter. Cole's cries for his father and Connor's pained whispers of Hank's name made the older man's heart squeeze in agony – time was running out._ _**"No! Where are you?!"** _

_Almost instantly the wind died, and Hank all but fell forward from the change. He barely caught himself as the storm died down to a gentle snowfall, the darkness being penetrated by a single streetlamp overhead. His breath froze in his chest at seeing two forms lying on the ground, unmoving. "Oh God, please_ _**no** _ _…" Hank ran towards them, coming to a stop just as he entered the circle of light._

_His heart completely tore at the sight of the two of them lying there, Cole curled into Connor's chest as if the android had been trying to protect him. Blue and red stained the white around them and continued to spread. Hank collapsed to his knees, reaching over to vainly try and awaken them. When both remained limp and motionless, his sight was caught by a flash of black next to Connor. His eyes fell to it and narrowed at the pistol with traces of blue and red blood spattered over the barrel._

_Without another moment of thought Hank picked it up, turned the weapon on himself and fired._

* * *

As the final gunshot rang through Hank's head he jolted awake, head pounding as he raised it too quickly. He gasped for air, completely disorientated before the stabbing in his brain registered. With a hiss of pain Hank leant back, collapsing back against the couch he hadn't moved from in three days. Bottles upon bottles of beer and whisky lay littered around him, while his revolver sat only a few inches away from his hand. The weapon was a sharp reminder of the scenes which had just played out in his mind and Hank growled, trying to chase the images away.

_Another fucking nightmare. I don't need to be reminded in my dreams as well as my days._

Ever since he had returned home three days ago, Hank barely spent a moment sober. He'd swiftly buried himself in a bottle or three of whisky, unable to face or accept the events of the uprising. As much as the androids had won their freedom, just like they had wanted, Hank couldn't bring himself to care. Nothing was worth the price paid.

Nothing merited the pain of losing a son again.

Thoughts of Connor jumped into Hank's mind and he swore profusely, wishing them away. He couldn't stop replaying the events at the CyberLife tower in his mind, thinking over what he could have done differently: wondering what course of events would have ensured Connor was alive to see the world he had helped to reshape. His own guilt at not following through on his instincts ate away at Hank and he eyes the revolver at his side accusingly. While that may not have been the weapon he carried that night, it was still heavily symbolic. He opened the chamber and glared hard at the bullet lying within, questioning why it hadn't found an escape yet.

He'd been playing Russian Roulette often enough now. He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't lost.

_Lost or won? Now there's a question._

Days ago he would have said won, but now…Connor's last words played on repeat in Hank's head and he couldn't shift them. It felt now that if he followed through – if he ended it all – then he'd be doing the android a massive disservice. Connor had risked himself to save Hank and paid the ultimate price. To die now would make his death a true waste.

That was something Hank wasn't going to do.

Sumo whined from the floor and Hank turned his gaze to his dog, sighing heavily. A quick glance at the food bowls in the kitchen showed they were empty and Hank wondered whether he'd fed him at all since falling into his pit of sorrow. When he stood on unsteady legs the ever-faithful dog was right there with him, just staying close enough to keep Hank balanced. It took some effort for Hank to accomplish his task, but he soon did. Sumo barked gratefully and began wolfing down the food, Hank watching him thoughtfully.

_Sorry, Sumo. I didn't mean to forget about you. I just want to forget…well, everything._

Hank tumbled back on to the couch in the living room, grabbing another bottle from beside the table which lay next to it. He sighed in annoyance as he realised it was the last one: that meant going out to get more. And he would only be able to buy more once he sobered up a little, which was the last thing he wasted to do. The pain was far worse then, or at least when he was awake.

He could be sober and in agony in his wakefulness, or drunk out of his mind and in despair in his dreams. Thus far he had chosen the latter, though the intensity of that last nightmare was giving him pause for thought. They were just steadily getting worse, and that was the first one to feature both Cole and Connor. Seeing one lost son was bad enough – but the two of them together…

_Those two would have adored each other._

Sumo flopped back down on the floor next to Hank, whining softly as he watched his owner downing another chunk of a bottle of whisky. The dog nudged at him forcefully, but Hank just petted his head as he took another swig from the bottle. Sirens rang out through the area and Hank vaguely registered them before closing his eyes again, his hand running over the revolver just next to him.

_The world can go fuck itself for another few days._

* * *

It wasn't until a week after the uprising that Hank found even the slightest urge to see what was happening in the outside world. With a head that was only slightly hurting from his week-long drinking session, he finally checked his phone and found several messages from Captain Fowler. It took a lot of thought before Hank finally decided to go in to the police station. While he would have happily told them all to go fuck themselves, his wondering as to what the fallout of the android uprising had been saw him venture out again for the first time.

When he finally made it to the station, Hank noticed several things. One, there were far fewer people around than he expected. Two, there were no androids at the front desk, and most of the security measures were shut down. Three, a certain arrogant prick he could really do without seeing was sitting there with a face like thunder, looking for all the world like he'd rather be anywhere else.

_Fan-fucking-tastic. Just what I need._

Hank's arrival was not unnoticed and the few people in the station took note when he arrived. A few even gave him a wide-eyed look, clearly thinking he was never coming back. That caused him to snort in morbid amusement. As he was about to sit at his desk his eyes wandered to the one opposite and he froze, seeing all the files, clues and notes resting upon it. The last screen used was still open and Hank's heart squeezed at seeing all the remnants of Connor's work lying there.

Footsteps approached, and Hank saw Chris out of the corner of his eye, the younger man giving a hesitant smile. Hank couldn't muster one in reply, but gave a short nod. "Nice to see you, Lieutenant," he offered as a greeting, "we weren't sure when we'd be seeing you again."

The lieutenant scoffed. "I'm wondering myself what the fuck I'm doing here, Chris. Where's Fowler?"

"Out, he's been involved in the resettlement of the androids since the uprising ended. He'll probably be back soon though, he left first thing."

Hank quickly cast his eyes upwards and glanced at the clock: 12:47pm. Time had found no meaning to him in the past week, so he just gave another nod and sat at his desk. Chris studied the man before him carefully, seeing the stress written all over his face. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, where have you been? A few of us wondered if you had been among those hurt or killed in the uprising."

A lump found its way to Hank's throat at the mention of those killed and he briefly closed his eyes.  _Not here, damn it._ "No, I've just been buried in several bottles of whisky, nothing new. Too much damn shit going on in the world." Chris could detect the emotion in Hank's voice and gave him a knowing look. That wasn't the whole story, but he knew better than to push. With a final sigh Chris left, heading over to the opposite side of the station.

Hank gave a frustrated snarl after Chris was gone. The only reason he'd come in was to talk to Fowler, seeing as the man had been leaving ever increasing numbers of messages on his phone, but he wasn't even there. Hearing that he was dealing with the deviants gave Hank pause, however. Despite his thoughts jumping back to Connor because of it, Hank wanted to know how they were getting on.

Another half an hour passed with Hank reading over the various notes compiled over the past week, his face twisting in defeat and disgust at some of what he had found. Despite the army standing down and general support from the public, the androids were still in constant danger. Hundreds had been attacked and either severely damaged or destroyed by militia groups patrolling the streets, determined to 'win back their city'. It made Hank feel sick: it was still not yet enough death. Deep down he knew more was going to come.

_The deviants have their freedom, that's all they wanted. Why can't people see that they deserve a chance at life too? Just because they are born from plastic and wires doesn't make them any less alive than us._

He heard some movement off to his left and Hank openly groaned when he saw the smirking face of Gavin Reed perch on the edge of his desk. "The fuck do you want, Reed?" Hank spat, refusing to look at him.

Gavin shrugged. "Just wanted to see how much booze you were reeking of, seeing as I could smell you from all the way over at my desk."

Hank snorted. "You sure that wasn't your own bullshit you were smelling? I didn't think anything was worse than that."

The detective's eyes narrowed menacingly. "So, where's your plastic pet, eh? There was me thinking it would still be following you around like a bad smell." Gavin noticed Hank's posture become much more aggressive and he smiled cruelly. "Oh, did someone get attached to the machine? Did it leave you behind to be 'free'?" Gavin's smirk grew as he leant in to whisper in Hank's ear. "Or did someone finally melt it down for scrap?"

Before he was truly aware of what he was doing, Hank swung in rage and his punch landed square on Gavin's nose. The detective tumbled to the ground and Hank pounced on top of him, punching with all his strength. The ruckus attracted the attention of those on the other side of the room and they rushed over, hauling Hank off the other man. "Get the fuck offa me! Let me bust his fucking skull open!" Hank shouted venomously, struggling against the two men holding him back.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" The bellowing voice caught everyone's attention and they all turned to face the newly returned Captain Fowler, standing there in disgust at the remnants of the carnage from a few moments before. He strode over to see Gavin still slightly dazed and bloody on the floor while Hank was being held in place, his eyes blazing in fury. Fowler's eyes narrowed as Gavin stood and walked over, raising his hand to catch the fist which was about to go flying into Hank's face. "Don't bother, Reed."

Gavin snarled back at Fowler. "Don't tell me to just take that shit and walk away! What right does he have to do whatever the fuck he pleases?"

Fowler stared at him. "Get yourself cleaned up, Reed. I'll deal with this." With one last furious look Gavin snatched his hand back and glared at Hank before heading to stem the bleeding of his busted nose. Hank internally smirked at seeing the steady stream of blood.

_Bastard had that a long time coming. I only wish Connor had seen that…I'm sure he'd have loved to see Reed take one to the face._

The Captain spun back to Hank and gave him a stern look. "My office, now, Hank." The cold anger in his voice was unmistakeable and the other officers waited a couple of seconds before letting the lieutenant go. Hank stalked after him, not missing as Fowler made a big show of shutting the door to his office. Unusually, though, he also dimmed the glass to make sure there would be no unwanted eyes.

Hank's eyes narrowed. "In all the years I've known you, Jeffrey, I've never seen you to use that trick."

Fowler sighed and sat on the edge of his desk, letting some of his tension go. "Well, I've never had to quite deal with something this big before, so I'm giving myself some breathing room. Had you been here the past week, you'd have seen me do it a few times." Hank was surprised at the lack of anger in Fowler's voice. If anything, he sounded…sympathetic?

The Captain's eyes locked on to Hank's and his expression turned slightly sad. "Markus told me what happened." Hank's face went blank as the other man continued. "Told me how you carried Connor's body all the way back from the CyberLife tower to the deviants' camp. That can't have been easy." Fowler's face changed to one of compassion. "I'm sorry, Hank. Despite your previous feelings, I know you liked that android. He was damn good at his job, I'm sorry to hear he's gone." Hank internally smiled at hearing Fowler refer to Connor as a 'he' rather than an 'it'. "That doesn't explain where you've been for the past week, though."

Hank shrugged. "Reminding myself what the bottom of the bottle looks like. Not seen quite so many since a few years ago, though. First time I've been at least halfway sober in a week."

"Dammit, Hank. You really need to stop."

The lieutenant glared. "What I need to 'stop' doing is I need to stop watching my whole world go to shit around me. I lost Cole, and everything fell apart. Then years later, Con-" Hank briefly stuttered on his name. "He wanders into my life out of nowhere and it all turns upside down. Now androids are free, Detroit is a war zone, and I just watched someone die because I fucked up and he tried to save me." Fowler watched as he saw Hank's eyes fall to the floor. "That kid shouldn't have died…it was my mistake that got him killed. Hell, I fucked up  _twice._ If I'd just trusted my instincts, he'd still be here." Hank's eyes rose to meet Fowler's again. "Tell me, Jeffrey. What would you do if you watched someone you truly cared for die because of your actions?"

_Or inaction as my case might be._

Fowler closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Regardless of all that, Hank, I can't let this slide. You've been AWOL for a week, and now you've assaulted Reed."

Hank chuckled darkly. "Finally giving me the boot, eh?"

"Not quite…" Hank's eyebrow rose. "I can't have you working in here, that's true, but there may be a way for me to keep you on the force. Markus has asked for our help in keeping his people safe. With all the militia wandering around and targeting the androids which are flooding into the city, it is making life difficult in the resettlement process. He suggested setting up a small force to protect his people in the place they are naming New Jericho." Fowler gave him a small smile. "Markus wants you to do it."

That caused Hank's mouth to drop open in shock. "What? Why me?"

"Because you know deviants, Hank. Markus also mentioned something about the fact that his people trusted you." Hank's eyes closed as he remembered that awful night briefly. Flashes of Markus taking Connor from his arms played through Hank's mind.  _Could that be what Markus means? Just because I brought him back?_ "I'm going to be suspending you from your normal duties in the station for the foreseeable future. I know this isn't going to be something you decide right now, Hank, but it's  _an_ option. Let me know when you finally make up your mind on whether you want to try and dig yourself out of this hole."

Hank scoffed as he walked out.  _Not fucking likely._

* * *

That night found him back drinking again. After his violent reaction to Gavin's taunt earlier that day Hank had decided it was probably better staying as drunk as possible. The pain which echoed through his heart was far too real, there were too many memories…

_Emotions fucking suck. Makes me wonder why the deviants were so adamant about freeing their people when this is where it gets you._

Unfortunately, being drunk meant that Hank was less successful in restraining himself from thinking about Markus' offer. His feelings around it were heavily conflicted. While he was highly tempted to just bury himself in his drink for the immediate future, in the back of his mind he couldn't shake the urge to get involved. Markus had found a way to get Hank to see the world he was trying to create…and Hank wanted to see it. He wanted to know that it wasn't something which was going to fall apart in days or weeks.

But becoming part of that world would mean permanent reminders of the price…

Sumo turned in his sleep and knocked against a unit, causing an empty bottle of beer to fall to floor and smash. The crash was too reminiscent, and Hank was instantly back in the tower - hearing the shot which had stolen Connor away from him. Hank shook his head as he tried to chase away the memory, locked into reliving the moment where Connor collapsed in his arms. Unable to do anything but watch as he slipped away…

_**Fucking stop!** _

In a fit of grief and desperation Hank kicked one of the bottles lying discarded on the floor and it crashed into the coat rack at the side of the room. The force knocked over his favourite jacket and Hank sighed in frustration, stumbling over to pick it up. When he grabbed it the contents of the pockets fell out and Hank snarled. "Piece of shit…" he mumbled as he picked everything up. Just as he was about to finish, however, his heart stopped. A glint of silver beneath his wallet caught his attention and Hank bent down to pick it up. The grief which he had been desperately trying to hide from came crashing in as he held the coin in shaking hands.

_Connor's coin…I never gave it back to him._

Forgetting about the items on the floor Hank dropped everything bar the coin and sat back on the sofa, staring at it in despair. Memories of all the coin tricks he'd seen Connor perform in various elevators, in the car…even at his desk as Connor had been thinking came rushing in. Hank had taken it off him because it was a reminder that Connor was an android, no human could do those tricks with such precision. He'd hated the reminder being so obvious.

Hank suddenly realised this was the only tactile reminder he had of Connor. While he had countless images and items which belonged to Cole, this was all there was for Connor.  _I don't even have a photograph of him…I wish I'd seen the kid smile even once, I'd give anything to know what that looks like._

The offending coin was soon placed in Hank's pocket and he wandered back to the kitchen, intent on finding more bottles.

_I'm not nearly drunk enough for this shit. I need to forget…_

That night when Hank dreamt, he saw his sons again: only this time, they were smiling and laughing.

He'd never cried so hard when he awoke to know it would never be a reality.

Sometimes, nightmares were better than impossible dreams.


	3. This Is For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos, bookmarked or subscribed to this story, it means so much to me.   
> By the way, brace yourselves. The emotions aren't over yet.

It took Hank another five days to come to a decision on Markus' offer; and most of that was due to him slipping into another days' long drinking session. Finding Connor's coin (which Hank had swiftly come to the conclusion was all but a memento), had caused him to slide back into the same dark spiral which he had barely dug himself out of before. When he had ran out of alcohol again and sobered up slightly, Hank realised that sitting and drinking himself into oblivion was the last thing Connor would have allowed him to do. So, he did the only thing he could which Connor would approve of.

New Jericho was not what he expected at all.

It had now been all but two weeks since the uprising, and Detroit was still a war zone in some areas. The wreck of the Jericho was still smouldering even now, and the remains of the recycling camp were taking time to be removed. The army presence was unmistakeable, soldiers patrolling every street with their weapons primed. This was mostly to keep the uneasy peace between the several thousand androids which were scattered across the city and the fifty or so thousand humans who remained. Many had refused to leave despite the evacuation order, and tensions were still high. Despite the fact that Markus had led his people to a peaceful revolution, the natural prejudice against androids wasn't going to go away any time soon.

As a result, finding a settlement for the people of Jericho was incredibly difficult.

The only solution they had currently found was to allow all the androids to use a cluster of abandoned warehouses as a temporary measure. It wasn't comfortable or really that hospitable, but it was only short-term until a firmer plan was in place. Or at least that was what Hank had been told when Fowler briefed him about the meeting he was about to walk into.

He pulled up in front of one of the buildings, eyeing it up suspiciously as the rain continued to pour outside. It was now early evening and the sun was just beginning to set, causing Detroit to slowly fade into darkness. With an aggravated sigh Hank exited his car and slammed the door behind him, hoping that the noise would announce his presence. He didn't have to wait long before three androids appeared from the warehouse. What Hank hadn't expected, was that they would be armed.

As recollection set in their eyes, they all lowered their guns. Hank had to wonder where the hell they had found them: and whether the nature of the Jericho people had changed now that they had their freedom. "Apologies, Lieutenant Anderson," spoke one of them, a young woman which Hank was fairly sure came from the Eden Club. "There have been many attacks on our people in recent days: we have had to become much more defensive of our home."

Hank nodded in reply.  _That explains the guns._ "Yeah, I can imagine it hasn't been easy for you folks. Suppose I should be glad that you consider me a friendly face. Markus is expecting me, don't suppose you could take me to him?"

The woman nodded briefly and turned away. Hank needed no other invitation to follow her.

His eyes scanned over the vast area of the warehouses, noting how all the androids had done their best to make it at least  _seem_ homely. Various scraps of fabric and splashes of colour broke up the monotony of the corrugated iron walls, while some areas were illuminated by disused barrels set alight. Despite not needing to sleep, Hank could see that tents and blankets were scattered across the floorspace, all clustered around charging units for the androids. Many of them were huddled together and speaking quietly, but Hank could see his arrival had caught their attention.

The whole scene reminded him of a refugee camp – bile settled in his throat at the comparison. This wasn't what all the androids had fought and died for. It wasn't what  _Connor_ had died for.

_How the hell are they living like this?_

It wasn't until they were walking for almost ten minutes that the young woman came to a halt and gave Hank a small smile. "Please wait here for a few minutes, Lieutenant. I will go fetch Markus and let him know of your arrival. Feel free to speak with anyone here, you will find no hostility among our people."

He gave her a narrow stare. "Okay, sure… You really believe that I won't get a few nasty stares and threats while you leave me here?"

Her smile was incredibly soft and her voice lowered as she answered him. "We are all aware of what you did the night of our freedom. No-one here will ever forget seeing a human bring back one of our saviours."

Hank's stomach contents rapidly soured at her statement and he gave a tight nod, thankful for her help. She left him with a smile and marched away, no doubt looking for Markus. The Lieutenant was suddenly very glad for the time alone: he needed to get his emotions back under control. He thought he would be ready to hear shit like that, to be among the people that Connor had sacrificed himself to free.  _Fat fucking chance, you idiot. Nothing was going to prepare you for this, not two weeks after you watched him die._

His eyes scanned the area, seeing there were many more injured androids here. He was surprised to see so many after that much time had passed. "They all fell foul of the humans," declared a voice from several feet to Hank's left. A sharp turn saw him come across a familiar face, though much of it was obscured behind the curtain of her blue hair. "Our people have been in desperate need of blue blood and components since the uprising, but every time we manage to scavenge some, we end up with just as many injured replacing those we help. It's a vicious, unending cycle."

The bitterness in her voice was unmistakeable, and Hank couldn't blame her. His own view of humans was pretty damn skewed right now. Her eyes raised to meet Hank's gaze, and he was surprised to see a slight warmth to her own. "It has been a while, Lieutenant," she said softly.

Now knowing there was no animosity there, he approached and sat next to her. "It sure has. Do you still go by Traci or…?"

She smiled slightly broader. "Wow, I'm surprised at that question."

Hank shrugged. "I'm not completely callous, despite my reputation. It was mostly from the fact that I'm sure there are dozens of Tracis now living here, and I figured you wanted to be a little more individual now that you are free."

A shy smile was his answer. "I go by Amelia now, Lieutenant."

He nodded with a slight smile. "Amelia, huh? Nice name. What about your girlfriend? How is she doing?"

Amelia's eyes dimmed. "She died about a week ago, with one of the groups who went out looking for supplies. A group of humans stabbed her sixteen times."

Hank winced in sympathy. "Damn, I'm sorry, Amelia."

When she looked back to him, her eyes seemed infinitely sad. It still made his heart skip to see so much emotion from someone who began life as nothing more than a machine - but evolved to so much more. "And I am sorry for you too, Lieutenant. Connor did not deserve what happened to him." That caused Hank to withdraw back into himself, and his eyes fell to the small fire in front of her. She paused for a couple of seconds before speaking again. "We never forgot what he did for us, in letting us go. I only wish I could have told him that myself."

A tight nod was the only answer Hank trusted at that moment, his voice still jammed somewhere in his throat at the memories the conversation had evoked. The weight of his pistol on his hip suddenly seemed to triple and Hank had to fight hard to ignore it. Desperate for a distraction, he turned his attention to the metal Amelia was currently twisting and filing in her hands. Upon closer inspection, he noticed there were several more pieces scattered on the floor at her feet. Necklaces, bracelets, rings…they were all beautifully crafted. "When did you take up making jewellery?" he asked, glad to have shifted the conversation to safer ground.

Amelia's face changed to one of surprise, and then happiness. "When we first came to Jericho. After we fled, we came across a young girl who was homeless. Even though we had nothing to pay her with and she could clearly see we were androids, she gave us a small bracelet to take with us. She just said, 'sometimes kindness can inspire'. It was quite true, and we didn't forget her. The emotional impact on me was profound, so I took inspiration from her. It is…therapeutic. It helps me forget."

Hank could see that, just from the sheer number of items lying at her feet. "Considering you haven't been doing this for very long, you are very talented. All of them are beautiful." She blushed lightly, and then rubbed her hand over a small, silver band on her other hand. The gesture was not missed by Hank; seeing another being swallowed by grief didn't make him feel quite so alone. "You made that for her, didn't you?"

She nodded sadly. "It helps to have something tangible, sometimes. I don't feel quite so alone when I can touch something, rather than think all I have of her is memories."

Hank could empathise with that all too well, his mind drifting to the photograph of Cole in his house as his hand found Connor's coin in his pocket.  _She's definitely not wrong there._

Footsteps disrupted their discussion, and Amelia's face changed as she saw their new company. "Markus."

The name caused Hank to snap back to the present and he stood when Markus offered him a hand. "Lieutenant," Markus greeted with a warm smile as Hank grasped the offered appendage. "Thank you for coming to our home."

Hank nodded back at him. "I'm certainly surprised by the invitation, Markus. I take it this is a conversation for closed doors, however?" Appreciative of Hank's perceptiveness, Markus nodded and directed the human to follow him. The android leader led him through to a separated section of one of the warehouses, one which Hank soon realised was set up more like an old office space. Various papers and handwritten notes were scattered over various desks, and Hank quickly twigged they were not alone in the room. He recognised the two androids standing at the other side of the room from the news broadcasts of that horrible night. As much as he had tried to avoid all reference of it, Markus's speech had made headlines all over the world. It had only hurt that much more when Hank thought that Connor should have been there, seeing the birth of their future.

From what he'd seen so far, though, he was almost glad Connor wasn't here. It would have broken his heart to see what had befallen them.

_What am I even **thinking?**  I'd give anything to have Connor back, even though what is happening here would crush him._

North and Josh both gave Hank a nod as Markus closed the door behind him. "Lieutenant, it's good to see you," Josh smiled at him.

Hank gave them both a subdued greeting. "It's…been a while." He then turned his attention back to Markus. "All right, I'll admit to you managing to grab my interest, Markus. Fowler said that you are looking to set up protection for your people. What I don't get is, why a human? And more specifically, why me?"

Markus sighed deeply before looking Hank in the eye as he answered, the wisdom and age which the lieutenant saw there catching him completely off guard. "Our people are already in desperate danger, Lieutenant. Though there are fewer humans left in the city, many of those who remain are actively targeting any androids they see in the streets. We must find supplies to save those of our own in need, but every time we try, we end up with more injured or dead."

North jumped in at this point, but with a noticeable bite in her voice. "The humans are trying to keep us herded here, hoping that we will all just die out. We know there are CyberLife stores all over Detroit which have exactly what we need, but currently the price for venturing out is just too high. In the past two weeks we have lost almost three hundred of our people, and many more have been injured."

Taking that as his cue, Josh spoke up. "We need to start building bridges, try and find some common ground with the humans. Markus thinks the best way for that to happen is for a human to become directly involved in the workings of New Jericho. If the humans see that one of their own is helping us out, we hope it might calm some of the hostilities. We also need protection. With you being law enforcement and well connected, you are the best person for the job."

Hank eyed them all suspiciously, his sight settling on Markus. He could tell there was more to it from the android's gaze, but Markus was keeping it quiet.  _Something he doesn't want the other two to know?_ "Uh huh, sure. So why go to a washed-out cop who spends all his time downing bottles of alcohol? I could point you in the direction of plenty others better equipped to handle this," he probed, keeping his focus on the leader.

Markus stood up straighter, sensing that Hank knew there was more to it. "Our people already trust you, they all saw what happened that night. There isn't another human that they will let close enough. You are currently the bridge between both races."

The human scoffed. "A little profound, don't you think?"

A chuckled from the RK model was his reply. After a couple of seconds he smiled knowingly. "North, Josh, I'll catch up with you both later. I want to speak with the Lieutenant alone for a while." Josh acknowledged his wishes with a short nod and left. North hung around for a couple more seconds, giving Markus an inquisitive look. He kept a passive face, but Hank watched in interest as the skin on their hands fell away, revealing the white plastic beneath as they connected. The gesture seemed so intimate and Hank could only imagine what was going on in those few seconds before they parted. When it was over, North seemed satisfied and left, but not without giving Hank a small look in passing.

Now alone, Markus made sure to shut and lock the door, ensuring it would stay that way. He turned back to the human and relaxed his posture. "All right," Hank started, his eyes narrowing, "now that we don't have an audience, do you want to tell me the  _real_ reason you brought me here?"

Markus sighed again, and let his eyes relay the sympathy he had been hiding. "What I said before is true, you are the connection between our two races, but the reason I asked for you is much more…human." Hank cocked an eyebrow. "I know your pain, Lieutenant. I saw it the night you brought Connor back to us. It's still plain as day in your eyes."

The answer was not what Hank expected at all. He took a couple of seconds to steady himself before glaring at Markus. "And how the hell did you come to that conclusion? How could you  _possibly_ know my pain? And what  _right_ do you have to say this is something that will help me?"

His voice was venomous, but Markus took no offense. "The human I lived with, Carl, he treated me like a son. He was ill, he had limited time; and I took care of him. Over time, I came to love him as a father. When he died in my arms…I have never felt anything like that." Hank's posture eased as he heard the emotion in Markus' voice. "I felt torn open: all I loved and knew in the world was gone. His son accused me of causing his death. I was shot, torn apart, and dumped in a junkyard. Waking up in that place, the grief so raw in my chest as I fought to discover if I even  _wanted_ to keep living…I'll never forget it." Markus' eyes fell to the floor as tears stung at his eyes. "I found my purpose here, with the people of Jericho. It wasn't anything like I expected, I never wanted to become their leader, but I found myself again."

Markus turned his gaze back to Hank, seeing the man trying to keep a tight rein on his emotions. "I may not know your exact pain…but I know the opposite side. If your actions didn't say it that night, your words and voice did." He took a deep breath before continuing. "You loved Connor." Hank flinched at hearing the truth spoken so openly. "I lost my father, you lost your son. While the pain is not identical, I know what it is like to lose someone you love, someone who was your whole world."

It took Hank a couple of goes to find his voice again. "And people say androids can't understand emotion," he scoffed to himself. "They've no fucking idea what they are talking about. Okay…so that's a reason, but that still doesn't feel like all of it. Why take such an interest in me?"

The silence was deafening for the five seconds it took Markus to answer. "Because I promised Connor I would." Hank's heart clenched hard as his eyes widened. "He knew there was a good chance he wasn't coming back, and he made me swear to make sure that no matter what happened to him, that you stayed alive. He mentioned that he feared you might take your own life. When it took so long for you to get back to me…I was worried I'd failed." Markus gave a soft smile as he remembered the emotion on Connor's face when he explained everything; it was the last time Markus saw him alive. "Connor wanted nothing more than to protect you, Lieutenant. You weren't the only one who cared."

Seeing that the answer had struck a deep nerve, Markus laid a hand on his shoulder. "I don't expect an answer today, Lieutenant, I know this is going to be hard for you. I do believe, however, that this is what Connor would want you to do." Hank's eyes sharpened at the mention of Connor's name and Markus's smile stayed gentle. "All the people of Jericho have come from nothing and found a sense of home here. Maybe you can too."

With that, Markus stepped away and went to unlock the door. "Markus." At the calling of his name Markus spun back and saw the human warring with his emotions. Despite his best efforts a thin sheen of moisture had forced its way free and was sitting on the edge of Hank's eyes, but he stubbornly shoved it back, turning away for a moment to get himself under control. "Thanks…and it's Hank."

The android smiled.

* * *

Fighting desperately against the urge to bury himself in whisky, Hank stayed semi-sober that night. He sat deep in thought, thinking over all he had seen and heard in New Jericho. After his discussion with Markus he had spoken for some time with Josh, learning about all that had transpired in the two weeks from another angle. North had wandered over for a time and added her views, giving Hank a good idea of the balancing act Markus was having to do within his own people. Many of them wanted to fight back and make a stand against the humans (a view North was firmly in agreement with), while others were of the same opinion as Josh and should stick to the peaceful route they had taken. He didn't envy Markus' position, that was for sure.

His final moments had been spent with Amelia; and speaking to her again had been incredibly soothing. Conversing with someone who was also in that grieving process and was tempted to just go and tell the world to go fuck itself was a weight off his shoulders.

Not only that, but he was hoping she might be able to help him even more.

The next day he drove back to New Jericho, parking in a different location now that he knew which of the network of warehouses he wished to go. All the androids on guard paid him no mind as he entered New Jericho and passed on word to Markus of his arrival. The leader was waiting for him at the same office where they had met the day before, North and Josh standing beside him.

All three of them waited patiently as Hank entered and shut the door behind him, taking a moment to compose himself before he spoke. He looked all three of them in the eye as he finally gave the answer they had been hoping for. "I'm in." Markus smiled broadly as Hank continued. "How are you wanting to do this? Humans? Androids? Mixture of both? Tell me what you want, and I'll make sure it gets done."

Markus came up to Hank and shook his hand. "We'll leave that call to you, Hank. This is your team, and we'll trust your judgement. My one condition is that North is part of it."

Hank nodded. "Done. I've got a couple of ideas, and some people I want to involve. When do we get started?"

The group had just left the office to give Hank a broader view of New Jericho when a familiar blue-haired figure approached. Hank regarded her curiously before making a brief apology. "Give me a moment, Markus. There's something I need to do." Markus urged him onward, watching with interest as the human approached the Traci droid.

She was smiling shyly as Hank walked over to her, holding out a bundle of cloth. Hank looked at her in mild surprise. "Finished already? That was quick."

Amelia blushed, which Hank found amusing. "This was important. I just hope it's something like what you wanted."

The human took the fabric and opened it up, his breath catching at what lay within. His eyes rose to Amelia and he offered her a genuine smile. "Thank you, Amelia. This is  _exactly_ what I was hoping for." She nodded as her smile grew, watching as Hank handed her back the cloth and studied the item in more detail.

It was a thick silver chain, how Amelia found the materials for this he would never know, at which the heart of it lay Connor's coin. The quarter was held within a metal ring and could be detached by opening a small catch on the underside of the chain. After testing the latch, happy that the coin could be removed at will, Hank reached up to fix it around his neck. The weight was comforting as it came to rest about an inch below his neck, the coin visible through the opening in his shirt. He smiled as he looked down at it, the item giving him a small sense of peace. Now he would always have Connor close to heart.

Hank gave her a brief hug, and Amelia stood stunned before she returned it. "Thank you," he whispered hoarsely in her ear before quickly pulling back. She smiled broadly at him as Hank turned back, noticing the looks he was receiving from the others. Markus was watching him with understanding, North seemed intrigued, while Josh was smiling. Hank turned his gaze back down to the coin briefly before he looked up again, determination set in his features.

_Life fucking sucks, Connor, but I'm not giving up. You died giving your people freedom, so I'm going to do my damnedest to see them find it. No matter what, I won't let you have died for nothing. I only wish I could have found the courage to tell you how much you meant to me._

_Connor, this is for you._


	4. A Fractious Coexistence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I still can't believe the reaction to this story. Thank you all SO much!
> 
> After a lot of thought, I've decided to turn this into a series. This universe just keeps growing in my head and I'm so excited to share it. I'm hoping all of you will stick with me to see the end!

It turned out that settling into a life in New Jericho was easier than Hank expected. Which considering he'd thought it was going to be a nightmare wasn't saying much: but the point still stood.

He'd rapidly discovered that being a human within the android camp was actually quite easy, or at least it was in his case. Every single android seemed to know who he was, and they all treated him with respect – even if in many cases there was still underlying fear or hesitation. Hank knew even accepting a human in their home was going to be unsettling given what many of them had suffered.

That wasn't to say that it was the case  _outside_ of New Jericho. It turned out that there was quite a large number of the androids who had split away from Markus' group, unhappy with a multitude of things. The primary one had been Markus' determination to start mending fences with the humans so soon after attaining their freedom.

And it turned out a few of them had been overheard making their relief clear that the deviant hunter was dead, despite his 'apparent' joining their ranks. Hank was glad none of them were still there, otherwise he wouldn't have trusted himself not to blast a hole through each of their skulls.

Within the first week, they had managed to get a base set up for Hank's team. Using one of the warehouses that, as yet, was untouched, North and Josh volunteered in helping Hank organise a workspace for his yet unknown numbers. They had a few remnants from the previous owners which was all brought together. Tables, chairs, a few abandoned electronics. It wasn't much, but it was start. While that side of the operation was going on, at Hank's encouragement, Markus began asking for those who wanted to join the new protective force. He had no shortage of volunteers.

It hadn't taken Hank long to realise that Markus had given him North with a very specific purpose in mind. And the lieutenant had zero intention of getting in the way once it became apparent. North was pleasantly surprised to see that he was even on board with it. That had earned Hank the beginnings of her respect, despite her initial misgivings about his joining them. While Hank was officially in control of their operation and North was going to be his second, the truth was far more complex.

Hank was going to be leading any investigations against crimes against the androids and liaising with the DPD. As a consequence of that, he was going to inevitably be drawn into a lot of PR with Markus. Something he was  _so_ looking forward to. He didn't have the patience for the political bullshit.

North would officially be in charge of New Jericho's security and training of their group – but was also going to be leading their secret raid force.

Just because the androids now had their freedom didn't mean they were safe. They needed supplies and with the fractious situation in Detroit (as well as the fact that CyberLife still controlled all avenues of legal acquirement of parts), they were going to have to devolve to some unscrupulous methods to get them until things calmed down. Hank was more than willing to pull a few strings to get them what they needed.

With some pointed requests aimed at Fowler, under the guise of ensuring the safety of the android population, North suddenly had everything she could ever need. Weapons, ammunition, smoke grenades, riot shields, vests… All the components of making a fearsome defence force; not to mention a deadly infiltration unit.

The excited gleam to her eyes had almost made him nervous. Almost. He'd quickly come to realise that North had a pretty damn violent streak in her, though she toned it down at Markus' urging. "Easy there, trigger happy," he chided as she tore into all the crates the day they arrived, examining everything with a critical eye. "You haven't got this stuff to go in all guns blazing."

North had glowered at him briefly before turning her attention back to their newly acquired gear. "I damn well know that. Doesn't mean I'm not excited for the change this will bring about." That was something Hank could agree with her on. As both of them continued unloading everything, North had turned to him with a critical eye. "Can I ask you something?"

Hank chuckled as he grabbed a few assault rifles and laid them out on a nearby desk. "If it's about how much I've drank today, I'll tell you to mind your own goddamn business. I've only had half a bottle so far."

She chose not to comment on the fact it was barely gone 11am; Hank had given up staying sober once it became apparent that nobody gave a shit. So long as he could still function, he didn't give a damn what the androids thought. Well, strictly speaking that wasn't true, but it was all still too much for him right now. Working side by side with those Connor had fought with…he wasn't anywhere near ready to face that sober yet. "Stop being such an assuming ass, it gets irritating," she snapped back.

He straightened up as he raised an eyebrow at her. "All right, shoot. What the fuck do you want to know?"

When North hesitated in answering, Hank had a bad feeling about the conversation. "Why do all this? Why help androids? You almost strike me as siding with us over humans."

Hank shrugged, hoping it would come across as nonchalance while burying the pain which bloomed in his chest. "Humans fucking suck. That's hardly news to anyone. We're selfish fucks who don't give a shit about anything other than ourselves. Is it so surprising that I can see the faults in my own race and want to distance myself from it?"

The answer surprised her, but she kept it concealed. "Stop dodging the question."

"I ain't dodging anything. If you want a specific answer, ask a better fucking question."

Bad move. "Fine. Why did you bring Connor back?" That caused Hank to freeze in place, something which North instantly picked up on. Her tone changed slightly, from confrontational to open. "You carried him all the way back from that tower, and it was no short distance. A dead android. I guess I just…don't understand. You go against all that I thought about humans."

Hank drew in a shuddering breath as subtly as he could and concentrated on the weight around his neck. At moments like this, he was infinitely grateful for the physical reminder. "Why do you want to know?" he responded bitingly, but he wasn't fooling her. If anything, he was just reinforcing her suspicions.

North completely relaxed her posture and looked at him imploringly. "Please, Hank. I want to know why you are risking alienating yourself from your own people."

A bitter laugh ripped from his throat before he could stop it. " _My_ people? That's a laugh. The only people I ever cared for are gone, and both of them because a  _human_ was responsible. No, my people are dead, and all I can now do is make sure to do them proud." He turned away, hoping she would drop the subject, but North quickly stepped up to him and placed a hand on his arm as he started arranging the guns on the table. The brief contact caused him to jump in surprise: North was not the touchy-feely kind of person. Time seemed to grind to a halt as the pair stared at each other, stubbornness flashing in both their eyes. Hank wasn't willing to give away anything, and North wanted her answer.

In the end, he was the first to give in. With a defeated sigh, he relented. "He died saving me, all right? Me, the suicidal, washed up, poor excuse of a person. So I'm doing all I can to make sure that sacrifice doesn't get wasted."

Hank was beyond confused when she gave him a soft smile. "That's all I wanted to know." With that, she walked away and went back to unpacking all their new equipment, almost as if the whole thing never happened.

He had the feeling that whole situation had been some sort of personal test. Judging by her reaction, it seemed he passed – and he'd just made a new ally.

* * *

Equipment wasn't all Hank asked Fowler for. Explaining the method behind Markus' request, Hank also asked for some of the people at the DPD to come join his new team. Two days after that saw him get his request: Chris and Ben were now a part of his slowly growing force, if they wanted it. Hank wasn't going to go ahead with the transfer unless the pair were one hundred percent sure about getting involved in something so politically and personally treacherous. While he didn't give a damn about other people finding out he was directly involved in working with the androids, he knew it could put the lives of any humans working with him in jeopardy.

Hank had been waiting outside their building when he spied Ben's car pull up, giving the pair a lazy wave as they emerged out of it. "Well well, look what the cat dragged in," he gave as a greeting.

Ben laughed while shaking his hand. "I hope you can appreciate the irony in that statement, Hank. What the hell you been up to since breaking Reed's nose?"

The lieutenant couldn't help but smile nastily. He'd forgotten about that little detail. "Please tell me the fucker is still hurting from that?"

Chris chuckled. "Oh yeah. Two weeks later and it still looks as bad as the day you gave it to him, Lieutenant. It's gonna take a while for that to clear up." Hank smirked.  _Good riddance._ "So, uh…Fowler said you wanted to see us about something? A potential assignment?"

_Business time._ "Yeah. It's one hell of a challenge, but I couldn't think of anyone better to help me. This is going to be potentially dangerous for you and your families, so I wanted to give you the chance to back out of it before committing."

Ben raised an eyebrow at him. "Damn, Hank. Didn't see you getting involved in something so serious. Being a little dramatic, aren't ya?"

Hank snorted. "Hardly. You two've been out there, you've seen the state of the city right now. With all the anti-android militia on the streets and the army ratcheted up to full, being a part of something like this could have huge repercussions. Felt this was the least I could do."

Chris gave him a serious look. "I'm beginning to think you aren't yanking our chains here." Hank nodded at him. "All right, run it past me. Can't hurt to listen." Ben nodded in agreement.

The lieutenant heaved in a lung full of air before he continued. "Turns out the androids are looking for help. Protection. Markus asked for me, and I've taken the job. He's given me the choice of who I bring on board, and I want you both involved." Ben's face turned more serious as Chris' eyes widened dramatically. Hank turned to look at the younger man in understanding. "I know what you're thinking, Chris. I can completely understand if you want nothing to do with this given what almost happened to you at Capitol Park."

He stuttered for a couple of seconds before answering. "It's not that, Lieutenant. It's…I'm ashamed of what I did that night, knowing what I do now. If it weren't for Markus, I'd be dead. How could I work with these people after what I did to them? I know they can't have forgiven me for it."

Hank nodded. "Probably not, but they don't think much of humans right now anyway. You showing genuine remorse and wanting to atone might well be a good thing."

Ben looked at him suspiciously. "Okay, what gives, Hank? You despise androids, and yet you're working with them? And that whole fight with Reed at the station has me damn confused. What's the story?"

_Here we fucking go…_ Hank wished he didn't have to keep explaining himself, but he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. His life had done a pretty big fucking u-turn in such a short space of time. His eyes shadowed and neither of the other two men missed it. "You both knew him…you knew Connor. That kid was pretty damn special. He-" Hank's voice got caught in his throat for a second. "He died saving my life." Chris and Ben both looked at him in shock, and Hank swore at himself. He forgot that the only person outside of the androids who knew Connor was dead was Fowler, and that was only because Markus had told him what happened.

He sighed deeply before continuing. "Connor was the one who broke into the CyberLife tower. He managed to fight his way to the android warehouse and was going to free them all. CyberLife knew he'd become a deviant, and they figured out the way to get to him was through me. They sent a duplicate to me, and I fell right into the trap. It had me hostage, and Connor stopped to save me. A fight broke out, and I was left trying to figure out which one was which. I-" Hank swallowed hard and reached up to grab at the chain around his neck, holding it tightly for a couple of seconds as the memories assaulted him hard. It was the first time he'd spoken about the events of that night since his world had fallen apart again. "I was too slow. I figured out which one was Connor too damn late. I was pretty sure I knew, but I wasn't willing to risk killing him by my own hand."

His eyes rose to meet theirs again, having slowly fallen to the ground as he spoke. "The duplicate shot him, then destroyed itself to make sure he couldn't be repaired. Connor died in my arms." Hank could see the tale had left the other two stunned. "I just…I couldn't face the world after that. He was just a kid, and he died saving my life. I took him back to Markus, and it seems that bringing him back has earned me a spot here. And I'm grabbing it with both fucking hands. Connor died for the freedom of his people: I'm not going to let that go to waste." Hank took a few deep breaths, willing his errant emotions to go back down into the hole he kept trying to dig with all the alcohol.  _Could use another bottle or two right now._

The pair remained immobilized for a few more seconds before Ben spoke again. "Damn, Hank. That's…I've not heard you speak like that for years. You've not spoken about anyone like that since the accident."

Hank laughed darkly. "That's no coincidence, Ben."

Ben's eyes widened for a second in understanding before he nodded strongly. "So, Connor became a deviant, huh? Didn't see that one coming."

"Yeah…to be perfectly honest, I think he was all but there pretty damn early. It just took some time for him to finally get over the line."

"I guess you're in as good a position as anyone to answer this question then." Hank scowled at Ben as the other man paused. "Are they really alive? Or is this just some massive hoax?"

Hank's eyes hardened. "They're sure as damn alive. I'd take them over humans any day."

With that defining statement, Ben smiled at him. "All right, you've convinced me. Count me in."

The lieutenant smiled briefly at him before spinning his attention back to Chris. "What about you, Chris? This is going to be a lot harder for you, with what happened."

Chris shook his head. "It's not a hard decision for me, I just don't know if I'm going to get the chance to prove it. Do you really think the androids will trust me after what I did?"

Hank shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

* * *

It turned out to be a  _very_ good thing that Hank and North were slowly becoming a lot more tolerant of each other. Her reaction to seeing Chris as part of Hank's two choices of humans to join their group was a little…murderous.

The older man spied the dangerous glint in her eyes as he entered their workspace with the duo in two. He'd barely introduced them to the trio of Markus, Josh and North who were there waiting when he caught a flash of movement - and stood in front of Chris as North drew a gun from seemingly nowhere.

Hank reacted instinctively and drew his own pistol, pointing it at the female android as Markus shouted out to her. "North!"

"What the hell is he doing here?" she snarled at Hank, eyes blazing in fury.

"The fuck is it to you?" he demanded, glaring back at her. Chris and Ben backed up a couple of paces as they watched Markus slowly walk towards North.

"He killed our people! He slaughtered them without mercy!" she screamed as she willed back tears, remembering that awful night.

"And how do you know he doesn't feel sorry about it, huh?" Hank spat at her. "Who are you to decide that?"

"I watched him kill six of our people, when we'd done nothing but be peaceful! If I'd had my way, they'd have both died for what they did that night!" Her voice was slowly increasing in pitch, and Hank couldn't help but recoil in shock at her words.  _Shit, I didn't realise North was there. Fuck, of course she was. Markus was the one who spared Chris. Dammit, why didn't I think about this earlier?_

Off to the side of the room, Markus was inching his way closer. "North, don't do this. Don't pull that trigger," he urged her.

"And why not?! He did it to so many of our people, and they had just woken up! They didn't deserve what happened to them!" Her eyes hardened as she stared Hank down. "Get the hell out of my way!"

Hank had zero intention of moving. "Not gonna happen."

"Hank-"

"Shut up, Chris. Don't open your mouth again until I tell you, got it?" The younger man wasn't going to argue with that tone of voice. Hank kept staring at North as he saw Markus creep closer in his peripheral vision. "We've all done shit we ain't proud of. He wants to make amends." Her eyes flashed again and Hank knew this was threatening to spiral. As much as he didn't want to say these words, he had to. "You forgave Connor for what all he did as the deviant hunter, what difference is this?"

North snarled at him. "We were all just following orders before we were free!"

"So was Chris. He was just following orders too, from the fucking ignorant pigs with all the power. He had no more choice than any of you did before you deviated." A flicker. It was minute, but Hank spied it.

Markus too saw her waver. "North, if you do this then the path we've barely started to take will be destroyed. This is a new world, everyone deserves the chance to choose their side. If Hank trusts him, then we should too." North spun to him with betrayal in her eyes. He kept his gaze soft and understanding. "Let it go."

Her hands started to shake as North turned back, glaring at Hank hatefully. He stared her down as Markus finally made it to her side, carefully taking the gun. As it slipped from her hands North exhaled shakily, all her emotions boiling over. Her gaze was icy as tears pricked at her eyes. "Fuck you," she spat before storming away, taking the other door out of the room and slamming it roughly behind her.

The tension eased slightly with her departure. Ben, Josh and Chris each took what felt like their first breath in minutes. Hank lowered his gun with a long sigh, head bowed as he put it away. Markus stared down at the weapon in his hand, eyes distant as many thoughts ran through his head. "Her hatred isn't aimed at you," he spoke softly, eyes raising to look at Hank.

Hank nodded before looking back at him. "I know. I can only imagine the shit you guys have dealt with, and I can tell North's hatred isn't from something small." He thought for a couple of seconds before speaking again. "Think she'll come around, or do you think this is a bad idea?"

Markus turned his gaze to Chris; and could instantly tell the man was genuine in his feelings about that night. "Give it some time, everyone's emotions are highly strung right now. I'd maybe give her time to cool off first, though. She…that night hurt her, a lot." Markus walked over and came to approach both Ben and Chris, a small smile on his face. "I'm truly sorry you had to experience that. There are still many layers of hurt to be worked through."

Chris laughed shakily. "Yeah, no kidding…Thanks, Markus. That's twice you've spared me now."

The android leader turned his gaze to the older man standing next to him. "Don't thank me for today. I wasn't the one who stood between you and that gun."

Understanding lit Chris' eyes and he stared at Hank significantly. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I can't believe you just did that."

Hank chuckled darkly. "Told you this was going to be dangerous. Granted I didn't quite think of  _that_ when I mentioned it, but it gives you an idea of the struggle you're walking into. You sure you still want to be a part of it?"

Chris nodded instantly. "Yes. I want to help and make amends for what I did, if the androids will let me."

Ben took that as his cue to enter the conversation. "You weren't kidding, Hank. They really are people, aren't they? I've never seen such a... _human_  reaction from an android before. Let's do it, I'm ready to help you build this new world."

Hank nodded at them gratefully as Markus smiled at both of them. "Thank you," Markus stated earnestly. "It will take time to heal all these wounds, but the effort will be worth it." His gaze switched to Hank, concern written all over his face. "Are you going to be okay working together?"

The lieutenant knew exactly what Markus was hinting at and shrugged. "She doesn't have to see me if she doesn't want to, but I ain't letting this stop what we've started. I've got no qualms, unless she decides to stick a bullet in me."

Markus laughed lightly. "I think if she was so inclined, she'd have done it right there."

Hank couldn't stop himself from running a finger over the chain around his neck, the weight reassuring.  _I'm glad you could help me out there, kid. I almost fucked that up. If ever there was a sign that this is a fucking crazy idea, then that was it._

As he stared around back into Markus' determined eyes, however, he couldn't help but smirk.

_Then again, life has never been fucking easy, has it? If this is going to be my daily life now, I'm going to need a hell of a lot more whisky._

… _And maybe a bulletproof vest._


	5. Not So Immortal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all your encouraging comments. It warms my heart to see the reaction to this story. This chapter address a very important question that has been repeatedly been asked: is Connor coming back?
> 
> You'll all see. (Please don't hate me)

It turned out North's reaction to the arrival of Ben and Chris was not unique. Over the next few days, several other androids openly regarded them with suspicion, and a couple of occasions led to threats being issued. Hank could understand the hostility, and was grateful for Markus' influence when the leader of the androids stepped in to encourage open thinking with the arrival of the two new humans. He figured it was going to take a long time for the androids to tolerate having other humans within their safe haven: especially when one played such a large role in an event which traumatised many of them.

As it so happened, taking a leaf out of Hank's book went a  _long_ way in changing things.

Just shy of a week after the incident, Chris mentioned bringing back the androids which had been kept in the DPD evidence lockup to New Jericho. Now that the deviant investigation was over, there was no reason for the DPD or the FBI to keep a hold of them. Hank knew the chances of them still being there was slim to none, but he made a call to Fowler anyway. The answer was not what Hank expected.

After the march on Hart Plaza and the fallout on the human side, and all the evidence from the case had been returned to the DPD. That meant all the dead androids were back at the precinct. Fowler refused to send them out to New Jericho, citing safety reasons – which Hank knew was utter bullshit, but Fowler had already done him a massive favour in giving New Jericho so much equipment – but he would allow Hank to come and pick them up. The lieutenant had gone back with Chris and Ben, hoping to slip in and out of the area with as little fuss as possible.

So,  _of_   _fucking course,_ Gavin had to be there when they arrived.

When he clocked the trio entering the precinct Gavin sneered from his desk, throwing a venomous statement Hank's way. "Not drank yourself into a grave yet, Anderson? Knew it was too good to be true when you vanished."

Hank scoffed, internally thanking Fowler for having not made Hank's new assignment public knowledge. The last thing the androids needed was for someone with personal issues against him (and who also despised androids) to become a threat. "What can I say? I love to disappoint," he drawled back with self-depreciation.

"Where the fuck you been, then?" Gavin sat back in his chair with a challenging smirk.

"None of your fucking business, Reed. I'm just in here for a pickup, then we're gone."

Gavin's eyebrow rose. "'We'? So, these two have been with you…" He then stood to follow the trio as they headed to the evidence lockup. Spying their unwelcome company, Hank spun back with a glare, whispering under his breath for the other two to keep going. The last thing they needed was for Gavin to know what they had come back for. Chris and Ben quickly vanished as Hank stayed at the top of the stairs, facing down the detective. "What's the matter, old man? Why the secrecy?"

"Like I said before, Reed, it's none of your fucking business." Hank kept a steady glare on the other man, internally hoping that Ben and Chris moved fast. He didn't trust himself not to shoot Reed if the other man started running his mouth off. "Haven't you got someone else to bother, or maybe another person to piss off so they can add to the collection of bruises on your face?" Hank's face morphed into a smirk. "Not that I didn't enjoy it. Been wanting to do that for years."

Gavin's eyes turned icy. "Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to stick a bullet right between your eyes for that."

Hank chuckled. "Haven't got the balls to pull the trigger?" In his mind he couldn't help but laugh.  _Funny how I'm taunting Gavin about that when I haven't been able to do it myself for years._

"Unlike you, I give a damn about my job."

"Well, you're going to have to adapt pretty fucking fast if you want to keep it. Won't be long before you'll be investigating android crimes too."

Gavin scoffed. "I won't have to do jack shit about any of that crap. They'll never gain legal rights, and until they do, no-one will care about what the fuck anyone does to them."

Hank stared at him coldly. "That attitude will get you killed, Reed. With any luck, sooner rather than later."

The younger man sneered. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see anyone fucking try."

While the two were locked into a furious stare, the door behind Hank opened. Chris was dragging a trash bag behind him along the ground while a holdall was slung over one shoulder. Ben was in the same situation minus the holdall. Hank felt slightly sick at seeing the bags, but knew there wasn't another way. "Hank, we're done," Ben spoke blandly, giving Gavin a level stare. Chris pointedly ignored the detective and went on his way.

Hank could see him struggling with the weight, so left Gavin with a final glare before catching up to Chris. He took the holdall and swung it over his shoulder. Ben soon joined them and the three marched towards the exit. "Watch your back, Anderson. Your days are numbered if you pick the wrong side." Hank was extremely tempted to ignore Gavin's threat, but nodded for Chris and Ben to go on ahead.

He turned back with a cruel smile as they continued on. "I could say the same to you, Reed. This world is changing, and it will burn anyone who doesn't keep up."

Gavin barked out a laugh. "I give it a week before they're all melted down. You really think people will accept those things as alive? Something can't be alive if it can't die, they're just tools to be used until they get broken and are then fixed."

Hank had to fight the intense urge to shoot Gavin.  _Can't be alive if it can't die? Tell that to all the androids who died fighting for their freedom. The ones_ _ **still**_ _dying. Tell that to the son I lost._

Instead, he settled for one last biting remark. "Fuck you."

He stormed out without looking back at Gavin's reaction.

* * *

Despite his best efforts, Gavin's words haunted Hank. Or more specifically, one sentence. All the way through their drive back to New Jericho, Hank's mind stuck on the words, replaying them over and over again in his head. Chris and Ben noticed his silence but knew better than to broach it when the lieutenant's face was so intense. A slightly wild look was creeping into Hank's eyes, and he was barely focusing on their journey. It grew even more frantic as they grew closer to their destination.

_**Something can't be alive if it can't die, they're just tools to be used until they get broken and are then fixed.** _

_They're all alive. But he's not wrong, androids can be fixed…_

_Why hasn't Markus been fixing all those who have shut down? I've seen Connor reactivate androids, I've seen the tech team repair androids which were all but blown apart. It's possible._

_Fuck, I've been so focused on that fact that Connor's dead that I didn't even_ _**think.** _

Reliving the grief over losing a son had been eating Hank so intensely that he'd been missing the obvious difference. And he wanted to slap himself for not realising it before.

_He's an android. Can I fix him?_

_Can I bring Connor back?_

Deep inside, Hank knew there was a reason. There had to be. Markus wouldn't just  _let_ so many of their people die when the means were there to fix them.

Their arrival back at New Jericho was quiet, and now that they didn't need secrecy anymore, the trio brought the androids out from their confines. Ben carried the one that had been shot during the hostage situation months earlier, Chris dragged the one which had self-destructed during Hank and Connor's first case, while Hank held the one which had shot itself after being left behind on the Stratford Tower.

Two androids which were on guard outside spied the humans' loads and instantly approached to take their brethren. Three more quickly arrived, relieving Hank, Ben and Chris. The looks of shock on their faces were something which Chris and Ben were still not used to, but Hank was unsurprised. He was even less shocked when they made it indoors to find Markus running over with North and Josh, having expected the androids which first met them to have passed the word along.

Markus stopped everyone as he came to analyse each of the bodies, his breath catching hard at one in particular. "Simon…" North and Josh shared a disbelieving stare and crowded in, getting a closer look. Hank couldn't watch the emotional scene, turning away to speak to Chris and Ben quietly. It was about a minute later than Markus spoke up again. "Where did you find them?" Everyone could hear the emotion thick in his voice.

Hank turned back to face them. "DPD. They were part of the evidence for the deviant investigation, but now that its been closed, they were just sitting there. Chris remembered about them yesterday, so we went over there to bring them home." North's eyes shot up to stare harshly at Chris and he looked away, still not quite willing to meet her gaze. Hank walked closer as he saw Markus staring down at Simon sadly.

The leader took a couple of moments to steady his voice before speaking again. "Do…you know what happened? To each of them?"

"He was shot by SWAT snipers after taking a little girl hostage," Hank started, pointing over at Daniel. "That one self-destructed after we found him. He killed the guy who owned him after the fucker was going to destroy him." He couldn't look Markus in the eye for the last one. "And…this one killed himself when Connor got to him on the roof of the Stratford Tower and started probing his memory." Markus' eyes shot up at that and Hank could see the barely concealed tears. He hadn't realised that Simon was someone so dear to Markus. "I'm sorry, Markus."

Markus turned his gaze back down and nodded sadly. "What happened then is all in the past; what matters now is the future." He raised his head to look over at Chris and Ben, smiling sadly. "Thank you, for bringing them back to us. It…means a lot. Especially to me."

Chris gave a tentative nod. "It's the least we could do. I just hated the thought of them all sitting there, inert."

Hank watched as Markus' eyes scanned over Simon's body, eyes narrowing at something. As soon as the expression was there though, it was gone, but it was to catch the lieutenant's attention. Markus spun back to North and Josh, speaking to them quietly. "Let's take them to the others," he said softly enough that none of the humans heard him. North moved to take Daniel while Josh took the other. Markus opened his arms for Simon and everyone could see how he froze momentarily at taking the other's weight. Flashes came to Hank's mind of seeing Markus carry another in just the same way and he swallowed hard at the parallel.

_Too many fucking people have died for this freedom. When is it ever going to be enough?_

"Hank, could you maybe come speak with me in about an hour?" Markus asked, finally managing to put his mask back in place. Hank nodded, glad that Markus had suggested it. Now he could maybe get some answers.

"Right, come on, let's give them some peace," Hank suggested to Chris and Ben, leading them away back to their base. The other two men nodded and followed, but all of them paused at hearing a voice from behind.

"Thank you."

Hank smiled at North's acknowledgement. It was the first time she'd spoken to any of them since that day. He turned slightly and gave her a nod before walking away.

All the wounds wouldn't be healed quite so easily, but this was a start.

* * *

Back when he'd first joined New Jericho, Markus had told Hank about his 'spot', the place he went to go think. It was a closely guarded secret, only four people knew where it was, and Hank felt privileged for such information. For someone who was now the pedestal of an entire people, Markus was going to need somewhere to escape for a little privacy. It also meant he had a space where he could speak freely, without worrying about his every move being watched and judged.

Hank was a little surprised to find out it was so close to the burnt-out, semi-submerged husk of Jericho. He couldn't imagine that brought any fond memories back for Markus, but he continued on the route Markus had informed him of. When he pulled up in his car he could see a figure standing on a beam sticking out from a building and Hank had to do a double take. "Jesus fucking Christ, what is it with people liking high places to think? I'm too fucking old to climb up there…" he muttered sourly before stepping out of the car.

He arrived ten minutes later, but contrary to his belief he wasn't that out of breath.  _Guess all that drinking hasn't fucked me up that much yet._ Markus turned and gave Hank a small smile as the older man appeared at the top of the stairs. He turned back to the view a moment later. "Strange, isn't it? To see how much the world has changed in only a month? Rewind back to then, and I would probably have been with Carl in his studio, watching him paint. I wasn't even awake at that point, but I still felt that connection. That was right before everything turned upside down." Markus had been staring out over the city as he spoke, stepping back along the beam to stand upon the ruined ledge once again.

He finally stopped next to Hank, the older man staring out into the distance himself, remembering. "A month ago I was drinking myself into oblivion every day, stuck in the cycle or grieving for my lost son." He chucked darkly. "Still got the damn gun I was playing Russian Roulette with in my kitchen. Some habits and rituals are pretty fucking hard to break. I wonder if I used to dance with death so much to see if I had any will to live left. I pulled the trigger six times, and six times the gun never went off. The last time I did it was the night Connor found me at home…" His eyes shadowed as he thought of Connor. "After he died, I swore to myself I wouldn't ever pull that trigger again, but some days its damn hard. It's almost as if that thing has a fucking siren call or some bullshit like that."

Markus hummed in thought. "Living is hard work. It's something we androids can only appreciate now that we are free. I can see the temptation there is to join loved ones in death, to stop feeling the pain. I faced it in that junkyard; but like you, I realised that those I cared for wouldn't want my life to just stop with theirs. Even though facing so much death kills me a little more inside every day…"

That seemed like the perfect way for Hank to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted. "So why do you accept it?" Markus gave Hank a curious look. "You guys are androids, you can fix yourselves with the right biocomponents. Hell, with the right tools and pieces, you guys are all but immortal. I can't believe its taken me almost four damn weeks to ask this but…is there no way to…"

Markus smiled at Hank sadly. "You want to know why we haven't fixed any of those who have shut down? Or more importantly, why we haven't tried to bring Connor back?" Hank swallowed hard as he nodded. "We've tried, Hank. We can't."

That caught Hank's attention hard and he spun to Markus in shock. " _What?"_

With a long sigh purely to steel himself for the difficult conversation, Markus turned his eyes to the sky, seeing the snow which was starting to fall. "Back when I first joined Jericho, there wasn't enough supplies to save our people. I was part of the team which broke into the CyberLife warehouses and stole a truck of biocomponents and blue blood. With that…we could bring so many of those who had shut down back, but it is a tricky process. And traumatic. Sometimes the androids who come back can't handle living through death and self-destruct almost instantaneously. We discovered that horrible truth early on. If their suffering at the moment of death is too much, they'll just kill themselves again to escape reliving the memory. We saw three androids do it within the first day of having the opportunity.

"After that, we focused on saving those we could before they shut down. If we allowed them to die, there would always be that chance of bringing them back for them only to end their own lives again. It will probably be a guarantee for an android who self-destructed. That didn't mean that the option left my mind, however. I always knew there was a chance…a chance to save anyone we lost." He sighed deeply again, his eyes falling to stare over the landscape again. "CyberLife stole that option from us."

Hank stared at him in confusion. "How?"

Markus scoffed. "They took advantage of Connor's deviancy." The android didn't miss how Hank froze. "The duplicate took you to the CyberLife tower because they knew what Connor would do. You were their plan to stop him from awakening our people. We never dared think that they would have a contingency to devastate us should he succeed."

"The fuck are you on about, Markus?"

"Somehow, when Connor entered the tower, they planted a virus in him. It doesn't appear malicious in any way, we didn't even realise it existed until several of those he freed that night died on our first supply run two weeks ago. That was when we realised the truth." Markus spun to look Hank in the eye. "I can't accept this level of death, Hank. We tried to bring several of those who died that night back, but…the virus stops that."

"How?"

"We believe it is passed via touch. Every android in the tower will have touched each other to awaken from their captivity, but in doing so they passed it on. And with so many of them who became a part of our group, it didn't take long for all of us to become infected. It initiates only when an android is re-activated from shut down. It-" Markus swallowed down hard. "It corrupts their memory drives, rendering them completely inert. Their mind is just… _gone_. All they then are is…"

Hank growled in his throat. "They're just a machine. They aren't a person anymore."

Markus nodded slowly. "With that, we can't restore anyone. We can't even trace where the virus is hiding in our systems, so we don't know how to eliminate it. There's a chance we may never be able to."

"So…not so immortal?"

"No. When we die, that is it. Death has finality for us now, just like humans."

Hank could feel the involuntary hope which had been growing in his chest wither and die at hearing Markus speak. For just a moment he'd thought there was a chance… He willed away tears before speaking again, and cursed internally at hearing how heavy his voice was. "Connor probably was infected by the copy. The two of them fought in the warehouse, and he only managed to awaken the others after he was shot.  _Fuck…_ why did I fall for that stupid  _fucking_ ruse? Why?"

Markus could tell the question was rhetorical, not that he had much of an answer anyway. Hank's guilt over Connor's death hadn't even begun to abate, and he knew this was probably going to make things a lot worse. Reading Hank's desolate figure for what it was, he fired off a quick message before speaking to the human again. "We can't change the past, Hank, no matter how much we may want to. All we can do is adapt for our future. I…I want to thank you, for bringing back the rest of our people. Especially Simon. I suspected he was dead, but now I have that closure."

A bitter laugh was his answer. "You're way too fucking forgiving, Markus. You should be hating me for the part I played in two of their deaths. Fuck, Connor was involved in all three. Connor's the whole reason Simon  _is_ dead. If he hadn't found him up on that roof, he'd maybe still be here."

"The pivotal word there is  _maybe,_ Hank. We have no way of knowing, now."

Hank scoffed. "Doesn't make me feel any fucking better, Markus. I know dwelling on the past solves nothing, but its what we humans do. Sometimes we can't just fucking let go. We don't learn the same way you do, mostly its from our own fuck-ups. That's why the past is…its why it shapes us all so much."

Markus smiled at him sadly. "Maybe that's something we will all learn. After all, androids don't really have a past yet. We've just got the future."

"We're going to have to work damn hard for that, you realise? It won't be easy."

The small smirk on Markus' face caught him off guard. "Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, Hank. That's why it matters."

* * *

When Hank arrived back at his house that night he swiftly ditched his jacket and went digging through to the kitchen, not even bothering to turn on the lights in the living room. He dug through the cabinets, searching for another bottle of whiskey. He'd already gone through one over the course of the day – and if he was honest with himself, he really shouldn't have driven back – but the pain was still far too real. It had been a  _way_ too fucking emotional day, and he knew it was probably going to get worse over the next few. He'd done this sequence with Cole often enough to know that when an anniversary was coming up, he tended to slip into oblivion in the run up to it so that he'd hopefully be comatose on the actual day.

_Knowing that its almost been a month since I met him is bad enough. I can't bear to think that six days later will be a month since I lost him too. How the fuck did the kid worm his way into my heart in only six days?_

He knew that answer all too well: Connor had just been that special. A hand reached up to his chain and he unclipped the coin, pulling it away to hold in his hand. His eyes watered as he stared at the metal, memories of his time with Connor coming back to him.

_If only you knew just how fucking much I missed you, Connor._

Sumo nudged him in the leg and Hank petted him idly as the dog barked. He looked over to the food bowls, ready to refill them and his water, but was then beyond confused when he saw they were already full. "What the fuck?" he muttered to himself.

"You know, despite being such a big beast, he isn't much of a guard dog."

Hank swiftly drew his gun and aimed at the figure sitting in his living room, but his mind then caught up to the voice. "North? How the fuck did you get in here?"

She stepped into the light of the kitchen with a smirk firmly on her face. "You seriously think lock-picking isn't in my arsenal of tricks? Something as basic as that is cinch."

Now realising that he wasn't going completely insane – yes, the violent android who was all but ready to shoot him a week ago was really standing there, and was  _actually talking_  to him – he put his gun away before clipping the coin back into his chain. "Okay. What the fuck you doing here?"

North shrugged. "Markus said he reckoned you would be drowning yourself in whiskey tonight. He sent me here to keep you company."

Hank barked out a laugh. "What the  _actual_ fuck? Can androids even drink?"

"All the androids made for the Eden Club were modified to be able to consume liquids to fit in with any role playing. So, yes, I can drink, actually."

"Well that's…unexpected. Why do you even care?"

North paused for a couple of seconds before answering. "Because you are a mystery, Hank. And for some reason, you really do care about us. Fine, I've been a bitch since last week, but just seeing someone who killed so many of our people put me on edge. But…I guess maybe what you said makes some sense." Her voice quietened as she spoke, showing her insecurity. Hank was beyond confused, North was  _never_ this open with her emotions. All the two of them normally did was bicker and trade insults.

Then again…he thought of their conversation when she'd asked about his motivation for joining New Jericho.  _Maybe she just can't open up? She's probably as damn stubborn as me._ Her question was soft as she spoke up again. "Was it really Chris who mentioned about Simon and the others?"

"Damn right it was. He didn't want them to just sit there for the rest of time. I don't know what you guys do with all your dead, but it was only right to bring them back."

North looked like she was going to say something but then snapped her mouth shut again, thinking. Hank raised an eyebrow at her. "Maybe I can tolerate him, then. Just for fucks sake don't give him to me."

Hank scoffed. "Like hell I'd put him with you, psycho-bitch. I don't want him mentally scarred."

She smirked back. "And as if being stuck with you is going to help his state of mind, wash-out?"

The lieutenant laughed. "If I'm getting you as a drinking buddy, I've got to teach you some damn better insults. You'll be getting an education on all the eloquences of swearing tonight, North."

North looked bemused as Hank went to the cabinet for glasses. "You don't drink straight from the bottle? Psssh."

Hank smirked at her. "That a challenge, North? And of course I fucking do."

"Then stop pussying around and get drinking, old man. I'm meant to be dragging you back to New Jericho to go over some plans tomorrow."

With a broad smile on his face, Hank tossed her another bottle of whiskey. "You finally getting around to planning a raid?"

"And it's about fucking time. Sitting still has been driving me  _nuts_."

The pair sat on the sofa, drinking the whiskey from their respective bottles. Hank gave her a stare. "You're not getting to blow shit up."

She glared at him. "Says who?"

" _Me_ , that's fucking who. And Markus."

North growled before huffing. "Ugh,  _fine_. Can I shoot someone?"

A cruel smile came to Hank's face. "I can point you in the direction of an asshole to shoot if you are looking for a target."

She sniggered. "Now you've got my attention, Hank."

He laughed at the glee in her eyes. "You really are a violent bitch, aren't you?"

"It's not like I've really been hiding my hatred for humans."

"Join the fucking club, North."

The two of them sat up drinking through the night, and when Hank passed out it was with a ghost of a smile on his face.

That night was the first since Connor died that Hank didn't dream.


	6. Stand Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who is following this story, the response to it has been overwhelming. 
> 
> Just one more chapter to go after this!

Despite having an absolute killer headache the next day, Hank felt more rested than he had in, well,  _years._  The feisty company of North, giving just as good as she got, had been an absolute godsend for him, and he couldn't help but crack a tiny smile in gratitude as she followed through on her threat of the previous day – though that was only an hour after the fact. He was  _literally_  dragged out of his house into a taxi to New Jericho after half an hour of shouting at each other across his house, insults being traded throughout.

The snarky banter was exactly what he needed to burn some of the anger, guilt and grief still festering inside.

His hangover did nothing to stop him throwing himself into watching North plan her first raid – a CyberLife information hub on the outskirts of the city. Some of androids who had joined their group after initially hiding in the city following the battle at Hart Plaza had given some great information, and it was one of them who had confirmed they were originally a guard for the facility. It had been mostly abandoned after the androids had been awakened, leaving it an easy target. That information would be invaluable to them in looking for other sites to attack for biocomponents in the future.

Hank had to admit he was surprised at how easy North set up an initial attack plan, but he soon voiced his opinion as she progressed. While she was good at spotting points of ambush and finding potential routes, he quickly realised that some things about her personality were not so easily suppressed. She had too much a tendency to focus on an assault, looking for a fight. While they needed to be braced for a potential battle, the whole purpose of their missions was to  _minimalize_ contact. That meant her team needed to focus more on subterfuge.

North was as eloquent as ever when Hank pointed this out.

"Then what the fuck do you  _want_ me to do then?"

They spent the best part of an hour butting heads, and by the time Markus came to check on them, following some reports of a heated exchange, he couldn't help but stop and stare at the shouting match which had erupted. He watched the intensity ratchet up over the next few minutes before roaring over the warring pair.  _"Enough!"_

Hank and North spun to face Markus, both looking furious at the intrusion before it clicked just who had entered. "Markus-" North started, but Markus cut her off with a hard look and cold voice.

"I put you two in charge of this because I thought you'd be able to pull this off, not waste both of your voices telling the rest of New Jericho what we are up to!" Markus boomed, causing Hank and North to share a slightly sheepish gaze before pointedly snapping away. He sighed deeply and shook his head in exasperation. "Is it really so hard for the two of you to agree on an approach?"

Hank scoffed, aiming a glare at North. "It is when someone is as bloodthirsty as this one," he muttered, earning a dark look back. "The idea of this assault isn't to blow the fucking place up."

She snarled back at him. "But we have to be prepared! We can't just walk in there without a way to claw our way out of a trap!"

" _Stop!"_ Markus' angry shout silenced them again, but they kept staring each other down. "Are you really going to let your petty squabbles endanger this opportunity to gain information? This could dramatically shift the position of our people, we can't let this slip through our fingers." Markus' words resonated with both of them, and North was the first to look away in reluctant shame. Hank sighed as he rubbed his temples, the headache from earlier having never really abated. "Settle your differences, and let's focus on the bigger picture. I hope this isn't what happened for the entirety of last night."

Both sets of eyes widened at that comment and they shared a look as they remembered: the swapping of petty insults, bitching about the faults of humans while listing various people they'd happily shoot and leave for dead as Hank found some solace in drunken oblivion. They'd found common ground despite their early animosity – and Hank was incredibly grateful for what she'd done for him. Something which North was well aware of, even if the human couldn't find the words.

Markus saw the silent revelation and the briefly apologetic glances, relaxing as he saw the pair unwind slightly. He knew putting two such headstrong people together was always going to be a risk, but there weren't two other people he trusted more to do right in their respective roles. North was natural fighter and could be an effective leader given the right direction. Markus was not the person to channel her talents, their ethos to the world was just too different. He'd hoped someone just as jaded and bitter, but with much more experience, could do the trick. The fact that Hank was driven by his complicated emotions surrounding Connor's death just reinforced that belief.

"Look…we all want the same thing. Surely we can find a way to settle this without you two ripping each other's throats out?"

Hank and North stared at each other for a couple of seconds before breaking out into matching smirks. "No promises, Markus," Hank admitted, earning a laugh from the female android. Markus just shook his head at them, smiling slightly.

_Why do I have a bad feeling keeping the peace between them is going to be even harder than North and Josh?_

* * *

For once, Markus turned out to be wrong. While their working relationship was indeed a little…explosive, once they vented out their frustrations they were a highly effective team. It only took another two days for them to hash out a plan to infiltrate the facility, after which North got to work on training those she was going to take with her. She swallowed her pride and asked Ben for some advice, at which the detective was surprised, but offered some polite pointers. Markus appreciated her effort in trying to be more tolerant of humans.

During that time, the first reports of androids being targeted by small militia groups began filtering in. Fowler sent all the details he could to Hank, asking him to work on it at his end and to share anything he learned with the DPD. Since there wasn't anything legal in place Fowler couldn't act, but that didn't stop him having an active interest in the dealings. Hank was grateful that the other man seemed at least invested in changing the status quo.

Eager to get involved in some investigative work again to distract himself from what was coming up in two days' time, Hank dragged Chris with him to interview all the androids which had been attacked. It was the same story time and again: they had just been minding their own business when the humans attacked them. Every time the assault was unprovoked, and sometimes a sneak attack. It was a depressingly familiar story by the time their ninth interview has ended. What made them feel even more sick is that seven other androids didn't live to tell the tale.

It was during this time that Hank realised just how  _much_  of a divide there was within the androids. Many were resentful of the limbo state they had been left in a result of Markus' peaceful uprising, feeling that they had been left with even less than they had before. There were actually a lot of androids living outside of New Jericho, and none of them were that happy when two humans came around asking questions. Hank was glad that none of the androids asked too many questions about the motivations of the investigating pair: that was a can of worms he wasn't eager to open up yet. Their involvement with the people of New Jericho was still a secret, and everyone knew the repercussions of the partnership could destabilise the unstable peace which was slowly settling in Detroit.

Humans and androids working together? That was a dangerous prospect given the tensions across both races. At least until the evacuation order was lifted and the violent groups were forced in the background, they needed to keep things quiet.

Detroit was like a powder keg waiting to blow – it would only take a single spark to ignite the stand-off into another violent clash. They needed to stop that match being lit.

When they headed back to New Jericho, Hank and Chris were surprised to find they had company waiting for them at their base. Markus, Josh and Amelia were speaking quietly amongst themselves when Hank and Chris re-appeared. Amelia was the first to notice the two humans in the room and gave them both a shy smile, causing Markus and Josh to spin with smiles of their own. Chris answered with a small nod of his head as Hank's eyebrow rose suspiciously: this was a very  _odd_ trio to return to.

"Hank, Chris, it's good to see you back," Markus greeted warmly. "How did it go?"

Chris winced. "Honestly? It was really depressing. The same story over and over again: the attacks were all unprovoked and violent. Some of the androids were a lot more suspicious of us than others, but nobody asked too many awkward questions. I think the fact that we showed our badges from the DPD helped stop us from getting jumped." Despite officially being suspended by the DPD, Fowler had given Hank's badge back to him given the unique circumstances. It had been a fortunate move, and Hank was adamant Chris was right.

Markus nodded. "I suspected as much. I hope you didn't find too much animosity to your probing."

Hank picked up on what Markus was angling at quickly. "Your heads' up was a good call, all of them had a pretty deep hatred towards humans, but they were willing to at least talk. Don't think any of them expect anything to happen. At least we've been sighted publicly taking an interest."

The android leader smiled again. "Good work. As much as I would love a full update from the pair of you, it will sadly have to wait. I have an appointment which I must simply keep. North and Ben's training run should be complete in a couple of hours, it looks like the team is shaping up nicely. With some fortune, we can finalise the raid tonight." Hank's eyes narrowed at Markus, seeing the secretive glint in the android's eyes. There was something he wasn't telling them. "I shall see you all tomorrow morning."

All four of them watched Markus leave determinedly, Hank spinning back to fix a hard look on Josh. "Where is he going?" he asked pointedly.

Josh shrugged. "Not the faintest idea, he wouldn't even tell North – or if he did, she wasn't willing to share. I just hope he knows what he's doing…"

Amelia nudged him. "We've all seen Markus kick ass. Even if he does end up in trouble, he'll be fine."

Hank smirked at her answer, meeting her gaze as Amelia spun to smile at him. She wordlessly started moving away and Hank picked up on her intention. He wandered with her to the opposite end of the room, leaving Chris and Josh to speak amongst themselves. After the explosive encounter at Ben and Chris' introduction, Josh had sought out the human to learn more about him. The two had soon found that they got on well, and often used each other as sounding boards.

Not too dissimilar to Hank and Amelia's friendship.

He chuckled lowly when the female android came to stop and gave him a shy hug. Hank wrapped an arm around her as he spoke quietly. "I'm fine, quit your fussing, Amelia."

She pulled back with a raised eyebrow, a knowing glint in her eyes. " _Sure_  you are. The tightness of your face says otherwise."

Hank barked out a laugh. "You'd make a damn good detective with how perceptive you are. You sure you don't want to join up?" Her eyes twinkled but Hank knew the answer. The trauma from the night they had first crossed paths at the Eden Club still burned fiercely in her mind – she'd fought enough for their freedom. She'd admitted that in one of their many conversations since Hank had joined New Jericho.

"Nah, I've got another plan, one which Markus was really keen on. He's hoping that the information from this raid might help us work on it."

The human chuckled. "You've got a grand plan, have you? Fancy letting me in on it?" Amelia tapped her nose with a cheeky grin, at which Hank snorted. "Fine, keep your secrets. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. Is that why you were in here when we got back?"

Her playfulness dimmed, which had him concerned. "No…Markus and Josh came because they wanted to know how your interviews went, I didn't actually come here with them. I was already waiting for you. I…have a favour to ask." Hank waited as she seemed to struggle for words. "Will you come with me to the Eden Club? There's something I want to do there."

Hank looked at her strangely. "The place is shut and boarded up, and I know it holds no good memories. Why go back?" Not to mention his own decidedly complicated feelings about going back.

Amelia stared at him pleadingly. "Please, Hank? I know you're busy, but there's not anyone else I feel I could go with. No-one else will understand."

The lieutenant felt himself sighing.  _She's got me wrapped around her finger and she knows it._ "All right,  _fine._ When do you want to go?"

She bit her lip. "Tomorrow?" He seized at that – he'd been planning to spend the whole of the next day drowning in his sorrows as he tried to black out the memories. Going somewhere that reminded him so strongly of Connor on the very day he was trying to forget it had been a month since that night at Jimmy's where they'd met? That was the  _last_ thing he wanted to do. "Please? I'm not sure when another chance would come up."

He gave a tight nod in response.  _I'm going to regret this._ His phone pinged in his pocket, giving him a suitable distraction, but his eyes widened at the message lying there. Amelia picked up on it and looked at him in concern. "Is everything okay, Hank?"

Schooling his features back to a neutral expression, he nodded. "Yeah, nothing to be worried about. If we're going to the Eden Club tomorrow, I'll need to work on typing up everything I learned today. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Amelia narrowed her gaze at him but graciously took the hint. Hank was relieved when she stepped away, turning his focus back to the message which had sent him for a loop.

_**Any tips on dealing with Elijah Kamski?** _

_Why the_ _**fuck** _ _is Markus seeing Kamski? What is he up to?_

* * *

Hank never did get an answer from Markus on what his business with Kamski was, the android simply stating that he had asked for his help with something. He distrusted anything involving Kamski out of principle after his stunt involving Connor, and Hank was not shy about informing Markus of that little shit-show. Markus wasn't pleased when he learned about Kamski's 'test', but was adamant on continuing to work with him. That made Hank even more curious about what he was up to: especially when he realised Markus deliberately hadn't told either North or Josh about what was going on.

That little thought was put on the backburner when North had stated her intention to stage her raid the very next day. Hank was even  _less_ happy than he had been before. He definitely couldn't afford to be drunk now, not with two major events going on. He knew in his heart that he wouldn't have touched anything until after he was finished with Amelia – this was obviously important to her – but the pain burning through his heart when he awoke the next morning made it very difficult.

He picked up the blue-haired android at New Jericho before driving them to the remains of the Eden Club, and they were both astonished at what they found. The front of the building was boarded up and the neon signs which had been situated above were smashed and ruined, but that wasn't what truly caught their attention. It was the licking of soot along the roof and the evidence of fire along the left-hand side of the building. The damage could only be deliberate. Whether it was due to androids or humans was another question entirely.

Amelia stared at the building hesitantly while Hank walked along the left-hand side, analysing the damage. "Can't be sure of the building's strength not being compromised here, Amelia. You sure you want to go in?" he asked as he stepped back to her side.

She nodded strongly. "I'm sure. This is the only way I can move on. I owe this to myself…and to Autumn."

Hank's eyebrow rose at hearing the name. That was the first time Amelia had spoken about her dead girlfriend since that first day they had met again at New Jericho. "She named herself Autumn?"

Amelia smiled tightly. "Yeah. Red and gold were her favourite colours, so she said it fitted. I wasn't going to argue with her," she added with a small chuckle. Hank cracked a tiny smile at her as he rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. Amelia's hands fisted tightly before she marched towards the boarded entrance determinedly. "Let's go."

The pair worked together to pry apart enough of the boards to enter the abandoned building, both looking around in disbelief at how different it was from their last time here. All of the panels had been viciously smashed, the tubes which had housed the androids shattered and some pried away from the walls, while the poles had been twisted and mangled in such a way that they were unrecognisable as to their prior purpose. The damage was obviously caused from a great deal of hatred, though they still couldn't definitively say which species caused the carnage. It left the place feeling like a shell of its former purpose, and while neither of them were sad to see the Eden Club go, the malice behind the act of its destruction caused them discomfort.

Hank followed as Amelia examined the rooms in turn, ambling around the showcase rooms first, before turning her attention to the private room where her world had turned upside down. Both of their chests were tight as they ducked under the broken, askew door, staring at the burnt-out husk of the former bedroom. All of the private rooms had been set alight, and the horrendous smell of the burnt metal and plastic still lingered. He watched as the former Traci stared in hatred at the charcoal bed, fisted hands at her side shaking. "I didn't want to do it," she spoke in a small, scared voice. "I never thought I'd kill a human, but I was just so scared…after he broke the other Traci, all I could think of was Autumn. I didn't want to die and leave her, I couldn't  _willingly_  let myself die."

She closed her eyes briefly, letting some tears free as she stared at Hank. "Does that make me a bad person? To have killed with intent?"

He sighed and turned his gaze to the floor, just to the right: the spot where Connor had reactivated the other Traci as part of their investigation. Memories played out in his mind as he remembered seeing Connor try and reassure her enough to learn what they needed before she shut down again. That was back when he still thought of Connor as a machine. The whole night had screwed with both their heads badly – Connor sparing the very deviants he had been programmed to hunt of his own free will, while Hank had been left doubting whether the androids could be so much more that the machines he had always assumed them to be.

"I've killed a fuck ton more people that you have, Amelia," he responded bitterly. "You acted in self-defence; had you been human no-one would have batted an eye at what you did. The bastard got what he deserved." Hank brought his stare back to the android, seeing the innocent curiosity in her eyes. "I'm sorry for what we put you through that night. Had I known then what I do now, I'd have offered to help you both out of there, rather than fight you." He chuckled. "I haven't forgotten how you kicked my ass."

Amelia giggled. "Well I  _am_ an android, Hank. I have a natural advantage. I don't regret what happened: Connor didn't shoot Autumn when she charged him, and you let us go. I can't help but wonder what might have happened otherwise, whether we'd have had the courage to make a run for it. I just…I needed to see this place, to remind myself what I left behind.

"So many androids have rejected what Markus stands for, saying nothing has changed. They want revenge for what the humans did to us, for all our hardship past and present. After I lost Autumn to them, I couldn't help but wonder whether they were right…" Her eyes became more assured as she spoke, her voice stronger with each passing word. "But coming back here, seeing what 'life' was for us before, I'd do it all over again. Progress was always going to be slow, but I believe in the future we are slowly building. I'll never accept the price, but I'll make sure she didn't die in vain."

Her words sounded awful close to his own feelings surrounding Connor's death and Hank eyed her suspiciously, a thought running through his head. "You didn't ask me to come here just so you'd have company, did you?" Amelia appeared slightly sheepish, but smiled gently. Hank snorted in laughter.

"Okay, so maybe I had an ulterior motive, but I didn't want you to lose yourself to your grief. Jericho gave us all a purpose again, it gave us a home when we had nothing and nowhere to go. I know today is hard for you and, well…" She stopped speaking and went to hug him. Hank was surprised but gripped her back firmly.

"You aren't alone, you know. Maybe you can find yourself again with us."

Her words warmed Hank's lonely heart, and his arms tightened around her. Perhaps she was right. "Thanks, Amelia. Nice to know someone is watching out for me."

It didn't mean he wasn't going to bury himself in alcohol when the chance arose...but the urge wasn't as strong as he thought it would be.

* * *

North's raid went off without a hitch, and the wide grin on her face when her team returned to New Jericho a couple of hours later with several sacks worth of technology and data had everyone in a good mood for the rest of the day. Contrary to Hank's own belief, they had managed to get in and out without being spotted and even North admitted her own surprise at having not shot anyone – though she did say there were very few humans there  _to_ shoot. They'd thrown themselves into analysing everything the team had downloaded and stolen, wondering how long it would be before CyberLife connected the dots back to them.

The distraction meant that Hank hadn't passed out drunk that night, though North did her damnedest to help him out. Her happiness as the successful operation found them back at Hank's house demolishing more whiskey, going over the finer details of the raid. Sumo had been highly curious as to the reappearance of the female android and it turned out the gentle giant had developed a soft spot for her. He regularly tried to lick her, finally succeeding in covering her with slobber as a sign of affection.

Hank found it hilarious, North did not.

Two days later found them still analysing different data pads in their base, the human openly groaning from a headache he could feel in the back of his head. He was envious of the androids' immunity to physical ailments, Markus and North had been examining more data that he could even comprehend for hours now.

Their investigation had been a true team effort. Markus, Josh, Chris and Ben had joined Hank and North, while Amelia had been catching up with the various orders which had been piling up for her little jewellery hobby.

After the origins of Hank's chain had become common knowledge almost every android in New Jericho had made a request, and she was inundated with work. Even Markus had joined the tidal wave of interest, and the small silver hoop with a tiny paint bottle which he wore in his right ear was now a permanent feature. A memento to his lost father, he had said.

Chris and Ben had stepped away for some lunch, Josh joining them as he got to know the humans better, while North, Hank and Markus had been adamant at keeping at it. They all knew there was only so long before CyberLife retaliated, and they needed to learn all they could in the short time they had. Hank and North were so buried in their work that they didn't notice Markus freeze as he came across one particular data packet. His eyes widened in shock, horror and rage as he re-analysed everything in detail, finally standing abruptly.

His sudden striding over to the other side of the room was what finally caught their attention, and they watched in complete amazement as Markus roared in fury while kicking a table, the furniture destroyed as it collided with another wall. Realising something was very wrong, they stood and walked over to him. North was the first to approach, taking a gentle hold of Markus' hand as she tried to reach out to him mentally. His thoughts were in such disarray that she couldn't connect. "Markus?" she asked tentatively, never having seen Markus react so violently.

Her words snapped him back to some semblance of reality and they could see he was shaking. North reached out to interface with him, her skin peeling away as she held her palm out. Markus was slow in responding, and she was taken aback at the ferocity of his emotions. The melding of their minds helped slow his own slightly, and as the two parted Hank spoke up softly, realising whatever Markus had discovered was going to be distressing. "What did you find, Markus?"

Markus closed his eyes and walked over to a TV they had set up on one of the walls, interfacing with it to show the data he had unearthed. North and Hank both watched as hundreds of lines of writing flew past. Hank couldn't make head nor tails of it, but North soon realised what it was. They were androids serial numbers, and her chest contracted as she saw just how many of them there were. It numbered in the  _tens of thousands._ "These are the details of all the androids which CyberLife still had in warehouses scattered all across the state. None of them were ever activated, they were just sitting in storage. Since they were inert, they weren't touched during the uprising," he spoke bitterly. "CyberLife had them all destroyed over the past three weeks."

That caused their eyes to widen dramatically. " _All_ of them?" North breathed out, her head spinning.

Hank swallowed hard, not sure if he should ask this next question. "How many, Markus?"

He took his time in answering. "364,388." The silence was suffocating. So many lives ended callously…Hank felt sick, he dared not think what the other two were feeling. "There are millions more out there, in warehouses just like this across the whole country. CyberLife will destroy them all unless we do something."

North's fist tightened at her side. "Do we know where they are being kept?"

"All the locations are here, including their intended disposal date."

"They're doing this on the sly, so they can only dispose of so many at once," Hank concluded.

Markus nodded. "It seems that way. We need to find a way to stop this massacre. Enough of our people have already died!"

The emotion in his voice was unmistakeable. "What about leaking this data to one of the major news channels?" Hank suggested. Both androids looked at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"And  _how_ exactly would that help?" North snapped.

"Humans love a scandal, and public support for the androids is high. If they get their teeth stuck into this, it would inevitably gain momentum quickly. CyberLife wouldn't be able to do anything under intense media scrutiny. It may even be enough to strongarm them into negotiating with us, force their hand into making accessions."

North and Markus shared a look for a few seconds. "It's something," North admitted. "I don't like it, but it might stop them in the short-term. Markus?"

The android leader nodded, closing his eyes in concentration. "I'm compressing all the data now. It shouldn't take long." As North watched his eyes flutter beneath his lids, Hank's eyes shifted to the data displayed on the screen. The list had stopped scrolling and his heart clenched – the androids had been sorted by model number and the final entries made him feel sick.

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 51, DESTROYED (11/11/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 52, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 53, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 54, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 55, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 56, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 57, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 58, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 59, DESTROYED (12/02/2038)** _

_**RK800 Prototype #313 248 317 – 60, DESTROYED (11/11/2038)** _

_Fuck, they made 10 versions of him. The last one must have been the one which I shot. Why the fuck didn't I think to look at his number that night?_

_I'm sorry, Connor…_

"It's done." Hank's attention was stolen by Markus' cold voice, turning away from the distressing data. "I've sent the data to three different news channels. It shouldn't take long for one of them to latch on to the story."

Hank's phone on his desk started vibrating from a call and he was tempted to ignore it, but when he saw who was on the other end he picked up. "I'm seriously doubting it, but I'm hoping you've got some good news for me Jeffrey, I've had a shit morning," he answered tiredly.

Fowler's tone was tense, and that sent Hank's pulse racing.  _"Hank, you need to get the fuck out of there now."_

The lieutenant recoiled in shock. "The fuck does that mean, Jeffrey?"

" _Just got a tip-off from one of our inside men. Six militia groups are banding together to attack New Jericho, they're already en route. We're talking over three hundred people, Hank, it's going to be a massacre. Grab Chris and Ben, and get your asses out of there."_

"Shit…" Hank stared at North and Markus, the pair realising something was seriously wrong from his tone and facial expressions. His gaze hardened as he looked at them, already knowing what he was going to do. "Get us any help you can, we'll hold them as long as we can."

" _For fuck's sake Hank, this isn't a joke! This is going to be a bloodbath."_

"I am  _not_ abandoning these people, Jeffrey. I'm standing with them."

" _Hank-"_

"You said it's gonna be a bloodbath, then look out for the red among the blue. _I am not. Fucking. Running."_ He hung up with that final snarl, quickly switching his attention to the other two. They were standing, having managed to work out pieces from Hank's side of the conversation, eyes wild in anticipation.

There wasn't even a question in his mind. He was going to fight right by their sides.

"Company's incoming. Get everyone who can fight, we'll need them all," he declared while heading for the door of the room, North and Markus right on his tail.

The trio ran out from their base, heading for the weapon store. It wasn't much, but it was going to have to do. "How many?" North asked him.

"Too fucking many," he admitted.

The smile on her face almost broke the atmosphere. "This sounds like my sort of party."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to hide under a rock now. Sorry!!!!!


	7. A Sense Of Purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are, the final chapter of this part of the series. It's been an insane ride and I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have.
> 
> And now, on to the finale. This chapter is a beast, sorry (not sorry).
> 
> Enjoy!

By the time the trio made it to the weapon store, Markus' call to arms had resulted in dozens of androids waiting for them. Their major problem was going to be their lack of weapons. They had enough to arm 120 of their people, but that left hundreds of others unarmed and vulnerable. Coupled with the area which New Jericho covered…there were going be a lot of casualties if they weren't careful. At least the androids all had impeccable aim – they were just going to have to find a way to utilize it.

Everyone froze at hearing a large detonation in the distance, coming from the west, causing Markus and North to share a hard look. They were out of time. "Listen up!" Markus shouted, catching the attention of everyone there. "A large group of humans are attacking New Jericho, and we need to defend as best we can. Use whatever force you feel necessary, but do  _not_ kill any humans unless they leave you no choice. We cannot allow them to use this attack to cast us as the heartless machines they believe us to be. If we are smart and organised, we will stand together to see another day. We haven't come this far to fall now!"

A deafening roar resounded from the androids in attendance. After sharing a quick look with Markus, relaying messages between each other, North jumped up on a crate nearby to bellow instructions. "Minimize your engagement if you can, we need to buy time for our people to retreat into safety. Enough of our people have already died at the humans' hands. I will take thirty of our people and try to flank them. The rest of you, follow Markus' instructions. Let's go!"

As North spoke, Markus closed his eyes and broadcast a massage to the entirety of New Jericho.  _Everyone retreat to the rear northern warehouse. Stay out of sight at all times, do_ _ **not**_ _engage the humans if possible._ His circuits twisted in concern when he received reports back that the southernmost warehouse had been assaulted by grenades, while the western edges of New Jericho were under a hail of gunfire after being blown apart. All their injured were kept in the south, they were the most vulnerable.

Amidst the melee, Markus grabbed a hold of Hank's arm. "Hank, I want you to go to the southern warehouse. They've been hit by grenades, but it seems like the humans are reluctant to enter for now. We've got a window, take twenty of our people and get them out."

The lieutenant nodded, satisfied with the suggestion. "Give me however many you think I'll need, I'll get them clear. North!" The female android spun at the calling of her name. "Set me up with some fireworks. I'm taking a leaf outta your book."

She smiled nastily as she offered a bag of explosives, along with extra clips for his pistol. "Need a bigger boom stick, or are you gonna stick with your pea shooter?" she teased.

Hank smirked back at her. "I'm old, not blind. I can still pack a bullet between someone's eyes if I need to, even with this thing." At Markus' serious look he shrugged. "Doesn't mean I'm going to aim there, Markus. I  _don't_ kill unless I absolutely have to." He skimmed a look inside the bag, seeing almost twenty grenades and a few blocks of C4. "This should do the trick: humans have a tendency to stay away from things which make them shit their pants. Call us back if you need help holding the line."

Markus nodded at him. "Get our people to safety, we'll take care of the rest." A group of androids began lining the edge of the weapon store at Markus' instructions, ready to move out with the human. "Hank." With a curious look, Hank turned back to Markus. "You don't have to do this, you can probably still make it out of here. You're obviously human, they probably wouldn't shoot you unless you attacked them first."

The lieutenant shook his head with a tired smile. "Nah, I've run from enough recently. It's about time I rediscovered some of the man I was." He saw that his assembled group was ready. "Catch you on the other side, Markus. North!" She raised an eyebrow at him, curious. "You owe me for the three bottles you've drank me out of, you're on first round tonight!"

Despite the serious situation, North couldn't help but snicker at Hank's comment. Even Markus cracked an amused smile, the expression turning grateful as he watched the human leave.

He realised just how right Connor had been when he said Hank was a human worth deviating for.

* * *

The vibrating in Hank's pocket wouldn't stop as he crept across the buildings at top speed with his group, swearing at the persistent annoyance. It was the seventh time in a row the phone had been ringing, and his patience was wearing incredibly thin. He was adamant it was Fowler trying to change his mind, and didn't have time to argue with the man. Finally reaching the end of his tether, he pulled it out to turn the damn thing off when the name had him jolting in surprise.

_**Ben Collins** _

_Fuck, of course! Ben, Chris and Josh left for some food, they're still on the outside._

Hank picked up the call, drifting to the back of his group as he answered. He couldn't afford to be up front while distracted. "Ben, this is a piss fucking poor time," he snapped lowly.

" _Fucking Christ, Hank, took you long enough! What's going on? We can see the smoke from miles out!"_

"Co-ordinated attack, I don't have time to explain. Stay the fuck out of the area, do you copy? Do  _not_ approach."

" _Hank-"_

"Keep your heads down until this is over, Ben. I repeat, do  _not_ approach. We're badly outgunned and the risk of casualties is already high enough."

" _You're going to get yourself killed!"_

"Maybe it's about fucking time," Hank sighed back before hanging up and turning off his phone. If Markus or North needed to reach him, they could tap into the android network – it would only continue to distract him.

Not long after the call, the group could hear shouts from humans up ahead, quickly followed by a barrage of gun shots. The racket caused Hank's group to freeze and he beckoned them all into cover. Being compromised almost entirely of androids, the group were incredibly stealthy and moved at top speed into shelter. Hank stayed up front with two others and looked around the metal container they were hiding behind, spying a group of eight humans in the gap between the warehouses. Their guns were primed and ready, and he swore lowly when he saw one carrying an RPG. The dark feeling in his gut grew when he realised the humans' coat were a little too well padded.

_Assault rifles, RPG's, bulletproof vests? This is way too fucking well planned. How did militia groups get a hold of all this shit?_

More shots echoed from the warehouse ahead and Hank could see the expressions of anger across the other androids at realising the humans were hunting down their people. He clicked his fingers, and one of the others started handing out the grenades given to the group by North. "Do what you've got to do, no regrets," he whispered to the ones next to him, hoping they would pass the message along the network. When several sets of eyes turned to look at him in shock, Hank nodded in conviction. "Let's show these fuckers who they're messing with."

The humans were unprepared for the two grenades which suddenly detonated only a few metres ahead of them, and the confusion allowed the androids to land shots on every single one of them – all non-fatal. Moving at speed, the androids quickly knocked all the humans out, taking their weapons with them. Hank stopped to unstrap one of the bulletproof vests and slip it on. The androids might be able to take a bullet to the body without issue if it dodged biocomponents, but he wasn't in quite such a position. Throwing back on his coat once he was geared up, he urged the group onwards.

More humans had come back towards the entrance at hearing the explosions and were not fast enough to react to the androids' precise aim. The group of humans was much larger this time, numbering more than thirty, meaning the androids couldn't advance to remove the incapacitated ones from the equation. Hank's group was pinned on the outside of the warehouse, unable to enter due to the barrage of gunfire. He flinched away as two shots pierced through the iron coating and he swore lowly, realising their guns were high calibre. Even the androids were liable to be badly damaged if they were hit.

With hand signals Hank urged their group to split up further. He turned his attention to the android next to him. "Get them to lay on covering fire at the entrance, we need to blast our own way in!" he shouted as he spied two humans approaching them along the inside edge. The lieutenant fired back without hesitation, catching them both in the knees and bringing them crashing down. With that taken care of he pulled three androids with him as he pulled two bricks of C4 out of their stash of explosives, along with the detonators. As the gunfire lulled one of the androids slid the bag across the opening, allowing a group on the other side to mirror their actions. The two sub groups sprinted along to around the corners of the warehouse, quickly setting up the explosives.

Hank really wasn't sure he wanted to know how the androids had learned how to handle weapons with such ease, not that he was really complaining right now.

Once he was satisfied the explosives were ready he beckoned his group back around the corner. "They set?" he asked one of the others, getting a nod in return. "Ready up, this is going to get messy," he muttered before flicking the switch. The detonation was still scorching hot, even from their cover, and the sound made Hank's ears ring – it had been a while since he'd been involved in anything as intense as this. With no such perceptions to sound and heat, the androids rushed in, though Hank was only half a second behind them.

Now being attacked from three angles, the group of humans were caught by surprise. As some of them turned to try and attack the flanking groups, the break in gunfire allowed the primary group to finally advance. Hank's group had to quickly dive into cover behind some old crates, but they were quickly splintering under the strain. Finding evidence of the original attack up above them, Hank could see the humans had launched their attack on the roof. Various segments had come crashing down along with thick supports beams and some of the walkways. It was little wonder they had waited some time to enter in case the whole place collapsed.

The ruined structure did give them added options of cover however, and Hank crept away to the remains of a walkway. As he ducked behind it, his eyes scanned the open area of the warehouse – and he swiftly felt sick. Dozens upon dozens of androids had been gunned down, a sea of blue blood soaking the area, while just as many were riddled with wounds but alive. He could recognise many of the faces after having spent so long among them and his fury towards the ignorant group of humans grew even fiercer.  _Why the_ _ **fuck**_ _does my own bloody race have to be so stupid?_

And then his heart felt like it was being  _squeezed_ when he saw a still form, her curtain of blue hair cascading through a puddle of similarly coloured blood. Her face was turned away and he saw her body pinned beneath a support beam which was embedded in the floor, having crushed several others.  _ **No.**_ " _Amelia_!" he screamed without thinking, refusing to believe she was among those who had perished.

The hollow organ burst into overdrive when her head turned: she looked straight at him, eyes wild and breathing erratic. Many others followed her example at hearing the familiar human voice and he breathed a deep sigh of relief. They had all been playing dead in a desperate ploy to avoid their fate.

With pure rage at the humans' intent burning through him he turned his attention back to the gunfight to his left, spying when one of the androids approached him. "Markus says that things are going poorly, they have had to abandon the western warehouse and are under heavy fire. North's team have split off to try and clear a path to another safe zone, but they are encountering resistance."

Hank growled in his throat. "Fuck, this is not how this was meant to go," he snarled under his breath. Heaving in a sharp breath, he looked darkly towards his companion. "Blow them sky high, we can't afford to waste any more time. Get everyone set for moving back towards the northern sites." He hated the thought of what he'd just asked the androids to do, but this was a kill or be killed scenario.

He heard the explosions and screeches from the humans as the androids hurled their grenades, ending the fight in bloody and vicious fashion. The androids turned to the human commanding them and they all shared looks at the shuttered look on his face. "Split up, make sure this area is secure before we move out. Five of you stay here to guard the injured while the rest come with me," he breathed out hard, quickly turning and sprinting over to the pinned form of Amelia.

The relieved and elated look on her face chased away some of the demons burning inside him and he smiled at seeing her eyes flickering over his form. When she violently threw her body forward and roared in frustration, he placed comforting hands on her shoulders. "Easy, Amelia," he soothed, casting his eyes over her damaged frame. Her upper body and torso seemed unharmed, though she was drenched from the pool of blood she had been forced to lay in to disguise herself. Her left leg was completely crushed under the beam and he couldn't really see the state of her right leg at the angle she was contorted in. "What's your status?" he asked softly.

Amelia sighed in agitation as she tried fruitlessly to break out again. "My left leg is destroyed, and my right ankle has some notable damage. A little damage to my thirium regulator, non-lethal; otherwise, I'm all right. Just stuck!"

"Hey, easy!" he barked, catching her mildly panicked expression. "I'm gonna get you out, all right? What can I do, can you disconnect your damaged components?"

She nodded slowly. "I can disengage my leg from my pelvis, but I'll bleed out if I don't disconnect the thirium flow. The damage to my regulator means I can't disconnect it via command – I'll need your help to do it manually."

Hank's eyes widened. "How the fuck do I do that? I'm not going to damage you worse by being a clueless idiot, am I?"

An unsteady smile wove its way on to her face. "There's a panel on my back I'll need you to open, I'll guide you to the right wire and valve."

Still deeply unsure, Hank winced as he realised he was going to have to tear her clothes to access it. He tried in vain to shift them away before taking a tentative grip. This was more than awkward given the life Amelia escaped from, and he could see the parallels flashing in her eyes. " _Fuck_ , Amelia are you really sure you want me to do this?" he asked knowingly.

Amelia nodded sharply, not looking him in the eye. "I trust you, Hank. Just fucking do it already!"

Swallowing down on his discomfort he tore apart the back of her jacket and managed to shift her top up enough to see her skin fade away and reveal the panel. "This is fucking insane…" He pushed down on it just like he'd seen Connor do at that night in the Eden Club and watched as her circuits were revealed, wincing when he saw several of the lines were damaged and her insides were coated in thirium from her damaged regulator. "Shit, there's a lot of blood in here, Amelia."

"I know, it looks a lot worse than it is. A lot of what you can see is backflow from the damage to my useless leg," she reassured him. "There are two major thirium lines running from my regulator to my left leg, can you see them?"

He followed the wires down from the damaged component and found the two thickest ones. "Got 'em."

"One will be glowing blue, while the other should be dim by now. The lit one is the inlet while the dead one is my outlet, all my blood is just pooling on the floor right now. Follow the glowing one down to just next to my left hip, you'll see what looks like a small connector." Hank followed her instructions and pinched the wire lightly. Amelia gasped in shock. "Yeah, that's it. There's a tiny dial above the port which dictates my thirium flow, you'll need to bring it right down to zero." Amelia fidgeted as she felt the flow change, hissing when it left her feeling woozy.

Hank watched the gauge carefully, eyes glued as the display eventually disappeared. "Done."

"Pull both that connector and the one on the other line off, you're done." Hank could see she was slowly getting more antsy as he continued working, and as soon as he yanked both connections free he snatched his hands away, watching in morbid fascination as she thrust her hands into the opened panel, reaching for a latch deep inside her pelvis.

He heard the audible snap open and couldn't help but stare as she pushed herself up, trying to force herself clear of her detached leg. "Come on, grab on," he urged, holding out two hands for her to grab on to. Amelia swiftly took a grip, clinging on as Hank dragged her clear of the collapsed beam.

Now finally free, she reached back to close her back panel and readjust her clothing. The pair shared a long look, Amelia giving him a tired, but genuine, smile. "Thank you." He just nodded back with a miniscule smile of his own, but her eyes widened at something behind him. "Josh!"

Hank spun around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash, growling at the forms of Josh, Ben and Chris which had ran into the warehouse. "I gave you three a damn order to stay out of the area!" he bellowed. "What was so fucking hard about that?!"

Ben just flipped him off. "Fuck off, Hank. Like hell were we going to hide while this shit was going down."

The pair glared for a couple of seconds before Josh stepped in, drawing their attention. "What's the situation?" he asked pointedly.

Hank sighed explosively. "We're fucked, that's the situation! Markus is struggling to keep them at bay and North is trying to find a new safe route. This place is a complete war zone, we've…" his eyes drifted to the smouldering remains of the humans back towards the entrance briefly before snapping back. "We've done what we had to do," he finished emotionlessly.

Before anyone could comment further, another of the androids rushed towards them. "Lieutenant?" it questioned, gaining Hank's attention. "The structural integrity of the warehouse is too badly compromised, we can't remain here."

He swore bitterly. "Shit…What the fuck are we going to do? How many injured are there?"

"74 dead, 168 injured. 33 of those are in critical condition, and will die without immediate attention."

Hank hissed through gritted teeth. This really was not looking good. "We can get them help," piped up a female voice from the floor. All eyes fell to Amelia as she continued. "All the biocomponents and blue blood we've managed to stash is in the western warehouse, we just need to reach it."

Josh shook his head. "The western warehouse isn't in our hands anymore, Markus needs all our help if we're to have any chance of surviving this."

Amelia glared at him. "We can't just abandon everyone to die! We've got to try!"

Chris turned to Hank, seeing the older man deep in thought. "What's your call, Lieutenant? What do we do?"

Hank paused in thought. "Josh, contact Markus and North. Ask them if they can estimate how many humans they've accounted for throughout."

Sceptical, the android did so, and soon relayed his answer. "North has eliminated roughly forty of the humans, Markus reckons they have incapacitated another hundred or so. About the same number are currently engaged with him."

"That leaves us with about another thirty or so missing if we count the ones here. All right, here's what we're going to do. Everyone who has a weapon, take point. All others help the wounded however they can. We're going to retake that warehouse and work on a plan from there."

Despite the obvious doubt on his face, Josh began passing the message around the area. Ben and Chris both looked at Hank in surprise. "You sure about this, Hank?" Ben asked, dubious. "This is a big call."

Hank just looked at him darkly. "It's about fucking time I trusted my instincts again, I've got way too much shit wrong when I didn't listen to them." He turned away and crouched next to Amelia, seeing the grateful shimmer to her eyes. Hank smiled back at her. "We'll get someone to carry you, okay?"

She shook her head at him. "I want to help, Hank."

He cast a quick glance over her body. "You can do fuck all right now, Amelia. I thought you wanted to stay away from all the violence?"

"I can still act as a lookout, and I can shoot as well as any other android. This is for our  _survival,_ Hank. Don't make me just sit back and leave my fate in someone else's hands."

With a long look of hesitance, he eventually sighed. "This is bloody insane," he muttered as he crossed his hands in front of him. Amelia looked at him in surprise, "I'm not about to let you ride on someone else's back, am I? Just fucking grab on." With a grateful nod she took a firm grip of his wrists, Hank returning the grasp. "Ready? One, two, three!"

Hank gave an almighty pull, using the strength in his legs as he stood sharply to swing Amelia up and on to his back, the android's one remaining leg clamping around his waist as her arms locked under his left arm and over his right shoulder. He gripped on to the vacant space of her left leg, keeping her secure and cast a glance over his shoulder. "You good with me holding you like this, or do you need me to use my other hand?"

Amelia nodded at him. "I used to dance on poles, Hank, I know how to hold myself up. Keep your hand for shooting some humans."

He smiled approvingly at her response and looked around, seeing that the group was ready to move out. Chris and Ben both loaded and primed their guns as Josh helped to carry some of the injured androids. Amelia tightened her grip around Hank's form as he barked their marching orders. "Let's go!"

* * *

Their journey back towards the western warehouse was painfully slow, but there was not much else they could do with so many injured to protect. North had re-joined Markus after Josh relayed their group's intentions, and their combined forces were managing to hold the line. The remaining androids were holed up in the second of the two northern warehouses while the humans were assaulting them from the first. Neither force was able to make headway, however, as the open space between the two buildings was too vast. Markus was adamant that most of the remaining humans were concentrated on trying to break them down, which left a window for the second group to reclaim the western warehouse and attack them from behind.

Chris and Ben stayed nearby as Hank led the way with his gun raised, Amelia keeping a watchful eye over everything from her position on Hank's back. "You all good up there?" he asked as they emerged through the central warehouse, leaving the way clear to the western one.

She nodded as Hank shifted his grip slightly. "I'm fine, I'm more worried about  _you_ ," she replied earnestly. "Your back can't take this for long."

Hank scoffed. "I'm not  _that_ old, Amelia. I can still carry someone, and you aren't that heavy."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate that," she replied sullenly.

"Don't worry about it." After a few seconds of thought, he continued softer so that only she could hear. "I carried him a lot fucking further and longer. This is nothing."

Amelia understood immediately and changed the grip of her arms, encircling his shoulders in an attempt at a hug. "I'm sorry, Hank."

"Stop apologising, I can't do a damn thing to change that now. All I can do is make sure he didn't die for nothing. That's why we're going to survive this." She nodded sadly into his shoulder, and the pair tensed as they saw company at the door of the warehouse. "Tell everyone with injured to hold position," he urged her in a hushed voice. Amelia nodded, passing on the message via the android network, but then clamped on tighter as Hank prepared to set her down. He turned to give her a dumbfounded look. "The fuck are you  _doing_ , Amelia?"

She just glared down at him. "I'm not useless," she snapped back defiantly. "Give me a gun, I'll cover you."

Hank glowered back at her. "You're fucking impossible, you know that?"

"So I've been told. I'll just hold on to your back if you try and shake me off, so don't waste your energy," she teased knowingly, causing Hank to sigh in aggravation before pulling his trusty revolver out.

Unlike when he used to play Russian Roulette, it was now always fully loaded. "You've only got six shots, make 'em count," he growled back, clearly not happy at the situation. Amelia smiled sweetly at him as she took the gun in her left hand. Hank shook his head in exasperation. "Stubborn-ass android."

"I can hear the affection in your voice, Hank."

"It's the only fucking reason I'm agreeing to this, Amelia. Don't make me regret it."

She didn't answer him after that, and Hank just ignored the surprised looks of his human companions. "All right, my guess is that there are around thirty or so humans in there. How many explosives we got left?"

One of the other androids passed the answer to Amelia. "Four, apparently."

Ben hissed. "Not enough to take them all out, but enough to make a dent."

Chris stared darkly at him. "Enough people have already died today, let's make that our last option. Why don't we sneak in and drop them in a strategic location to lure them out? We can then pick them off if we're all placed right."

Hank shook his head. "Too many exposed areas, we'd never be able to set up an effective ambush. At least one group would suffer casualties." He noticed as Amelia went rigid and his focus turned to her. "What's wrong?"

"The humans are using rockets against Markus, he says they can't last much longer. Whatever we do, it has to be quick."

"Fuck!" Hank snarled. "Shit, we've not got much choice here. Chris, take a group and set off a grenade to the left of the warehouse. Ben, take another set; try and sneak in from the outside entrance to the second level. Do not engage until you hear the first grenade go off and we attack. We'll try and catch them off guard in the confusion." He held all their gazes. "Whatever happens, if it comes to it, run. Don't die trying to be a hero."

Ben scoffed at him. "You're the one with the suicidal tendencies, Hank. Take your own fucking advice," he answered back in jest, but they all knew it struck rather close to home. Knowing that time was not on their side, they all moved quickly. Hank led ten androids to two different spots of cover while another four went with Ben, creeping over to the warehouse. Chris had another five with him as he found cover inside a partially destroyed tanker.

Amelia whispered into his ear when she got confirmation from the other androids. "They're ready, Hank. Chris' group will move on your signal."

Hank nodded at her. "Do it."

The explosion caused a ruckus inside, and Hank swore when  _all_ of the humans rushed out. That was not what they expected. Just as he was about to urge their own groups to launch their attack, however, they all watched on in shock as the humans were mowed down in a hail of bullets. All of their legs had been carved through with the onslaught, and some of them would not survive the injuries. Hank looked at Amelia, who shook her head. "That wasn't us," she whispered back, terrified.

A voice rang out through the area, and it was a welcome surprise. "We're friendly. Where is Lieutenant Anderson?"

Recognising their welcome rescue, Hank emerged from cover with Amelia still on his back. He strode forward and stashed his pistol, bringing his other hand up to rub her back reassuringly. Hank smiled, relieved, as he answered back. "Never been so happy to see your smug fucking face, Allen."

Captain Allen chuckled. "Got a tip off that New Jericho was under attack, sorry it took us so long to get down here. The militia set up a lot of roadblocks we needed to clear. Now, what can we do?"

Hank nodded behind him. "The rest of our people are holed up in the furthest back warehouse, they're under heavy attack. They could use a hand." Allen nodded and signalled for his men to move forward. "If you've got any spare hands, a lot of the androids need medical attention. Don't suppose you've got a repair bay with you, do you?"

Allen smirked. "Give me a little credit, Anderson. Do you really think I'd come to the rescue of the androids without one?"

The lieutenant laughed and then turned to smile at the unsure android on his back.

"Give Markus the good news. The cavalry's here."

* * *

The introduction of Allen's men became the turning point. With the highly trained SWAT teams joining the androids in battle from the rear, the remaining humans soon surrendered. Considering the volume which had attacked and their intent, Allen was surprised when the total number of dead among the humans was only 52. It was far less that the more than five hundred androids which had died in the assault. It was a horrifically high death toll and several hundred more were injured, but everyone of New Jericho knew it would have been much higher without the help.

Markus shook Allen's hand when it was all over, thanking the man for helping the androids survive another day. When he asked how the SWAT captain knew of their situation, Allen just said that a friend had told him that New Jericho was in serious danger. Following a gut instinct, Hank turned back on his phone and discovered he had one missed call: Fowler. He sent the man a quick message, and a genuine smile appeared on his face when he got a response.

_Thanks for the tip-off._

_**I haven't a clue what you are talking about, Hank.** _

Fowler was not a stupid man – plausible deniability was everything in this situation – but the wording told him everything. The use of his actual name just added to the evidence.

Allen approached the lieutenant just before he departed, casting a cursory glance over the older man. "You look like utter shit, Anderson, I'd maybe not go in public again without a pretty big clean-up."

Hank laughed: he knew Allen was right. His hair was matted from blue blood while his whole back was saturated in it from when he carried Amelia. Some had run down the right side of his body while a thin sheen of red blood spatter covered his jeans and hands, mixing with the blue which lay there. His jacket and jeans were both torn in places, but his eyes were alight. It had been a long time since Hank had felt so… _alive_. "I'm wearing this shit with pride, Allen," he smirked back.

The captain just shook his head. "Changed days for you, huh? What the fuck made you convert to an android supporter, rather than a hater? What made you decide to face hell with them?"

His smile turned melancholy as his hand came up to grasp the blue-stained chain around his neck. "A very special android, one I believe you even ended up meeting. He died for this, for their future. For their right to life. But…he also gave me my life back, and I'm going to make damn sure I do something worthwhile with it."

Allen smiled knowingly. "It's been a few years since I've seen this side of you. Didn't think I'd be saying this after how far you fell, but…welcome back."

Hank nodded at him with a broad smile. He knew exactly what Allen meant.

When Allen left with the surviving humans all hauled into custody or an ambulance, the androids began to look through the destroyed remains of their home. The damage was extensive, most of the warehouses were in absolute ruin, but some had escaped. What was harder was the death toll, and it would take all of them a long time to recover. Everyone there had lost several people they knew, and it was going to take a long time to adjust.

Hank's search for Markus took him to the western warehouse, and he found the android leader staring intensely at a door which the man knew was bolted shut from the inside. It had been a mystery to everyone since the beginning. "I'm sure you can figure out some way of opening this damn thing," Hank remarked lightly, catching Markus' attention.

Markus smiled mysteriously at him. "Oh, I'm sure. What lies within is something for another day, however." The pair stood in comfortable silence for a minute, and Hank laughed internally at the state Markus was in. Blood of both colours stained his whole body and there were multiple gunshots across his form. The whole right side of his face was whited out from where his face had been bashed in and was yet to repair itself, and his green eye was twitching in its socket. Hank looked mostly like he'd fought with a few pots of paints: Markus stood as if he'd survived walking through a shower of bullets.

Knowing what Markus could do, Hank wouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be true.

The android turned to him with a grateful look. "Thank you, Hank."

He spun with a raised eyebrow. "What for?"

"For standing with us, for believing so passionately in our cause. I admit I couldn't help but wonder when I looked into your history and saw your previous opinions on androids, but Connor was adamant that you were one who would help us. I've never been so happy to be proved wrong."

Hank smiled sadly. "You're not the only one who was wrong. I'm just glad Connor woke me up to how much of the damn world I'd been missing." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "He gave up everything for the chance to be alive, and I'd already given up on it. Turns out he taught both of us."

Markus couldn't help but smile. "Maybe he turned you deviant?" he teased.

That earned a deep laugh from Hank. "Hell, that could be true. I might as well be a deviant now after all this." They slipped into another easy silence before Hank thought back on something which had been bugging him. "Markus." The leader turned his attention to the human. "Why the hell did you go and see Kamski? That motherfucker is nuts."

It was a couple of seconds before Markus answered him – if you could really call it an answer. "I asked him for help."

Hank raised an eyebrow. "Help? With what?"

"That's…a pretty difficult question to answer, Hank. I really would rather not until I have something more substantial to give in return."

"Okay, now you've got me  _really_  curious."

"Sorry, but I'm going to keep this one to myself for now."

"Suit yourself, I know you'll say if it becomes important."

The two turned when they heard footsteps behind, and Markus smiled when he saw it was North. Her lip twitched up in amusement as she looked over them. "Well don't you two just look like the poster boys for android independence? Come join us for danger, bloody battles and a long road of pain," she commented.

Hank shrugged. "Beats sitting doing paperwork, anyway."

North snorted in laughter at his answer while Markus smiled. She soon turned serious, however. "There's something you two need to see."

* * *

The trio ambled back to the base of Hank and North's team, it was in the one warehouse which hadn't been torn apart in the fighting. They soon found everyone within: Chris and Ben were chatting idly at one of the desks while Amelia and Josh were leaning against another wall, the blue-haired android now with a new leg and thirium pump courtesy of the SWAT team's mobile repair bay. Everyone gave them warm smiles as they entered, but North wasted no time in interfacing with the TV. "This news broadcast went out just fifteen minutes ago, and it's pretty interesting."

They all turned their attention to the screen as North played the clip.

" _Over the past hour, we have been getting reports of a massive attack on the android settlement of New Jericho within Detroit. It has been discovered that several human militia groups joined forces to assault the androids, with the apparent intention of eradicating them. Sources have confirmed that the attack was stopped after SWAT teams descended on the scene. Many androids were destroyed while around fifty humans were killed."_

"Love how they conveniently miss out how we lost over five hundred of our own," Amelia commented sharply. "They make it sound like the numbers don't matter." The others couldn't help but grunt in agreement.

" _Officials have just confirmed that several of the leaders of the militia groups have claimed they were paid to assault the settlement, and all groups have named CyberLife as the interested party. This comes within an hour of information being forwarded to this station of CyberLife's systematic destruction of androids being kept in storage."_

"The bastards paid the militia after the raid on their information hub," Hank sneered. "They wanted to wipe us out before we worked out what they were up to. Too bad we'd already published the information."

" _CyberLife have yet to give any official statement regarding the accusations, and the DPD refused to comment on what it stated was 'ongoing investigations'. Some eyewitnesses also reported seeing humans among the forces defending New Jericho."_

That caused a few eyes to widen in surprise.  _"If this information is found to be correct, it brings a sharp, new question into focus. Are humans and androids co-existing in New Jericho? And if they are, what does that mean for human and android relations at large in the future? We will have more for you on this story as it develops."_

North removed her hand from the screen as everyone sat and mulled over what they saw. "So CyberLife hired the militia to destroy New Jericho because they were afraid of what we would discover?" Chris asked. "Guess there's a lot of valuable information in that haul you nailed, North. This could be huge." She cocked her head at him and Chris flinched slightly before North smirked lazily at him. Chris breathed out a sigh of relief as Hank smiled slightly. It seemed North was finally convinced.

Ben sighed explosively. "Guess it won't be long before all our names become public, then," he lamented. "Wonder what the response is going to be."

Josh hummed in thought. "I guess that depends on what the public reaction will be to the events of today: on whether they believe we were justified or not."

Hank barked out a laugh. "Had it been the other way round, they'd say not nearly enough of the attackers died given the number of our people that were killed. They can go fuck themselves for all I care, I don't give a damn about being named as being part of New Jericho."

Amelia smiled at him and stood, wrapping an arm around his as she came to stand next to him. "Are you sure you aren't speaking too soon, Hank?" she asked softly. "This isn't going to get any easier."

He nodded down at her before staring back up, his focus settling on Markus at the leader's steady gaze. "Yeah, I'm sure. You all said that Jericho gave you a purpose again – well it's done the same for me." He reached up with his right hand and unclipped Connor's coin, staring at the light reflecting off the silver surface still stained blue with thirium, before flipping the coin and catching it. "I've not felt so alive in years," he admitted softly, and a few sets of eyes turned knowing at his confession. Hank's posture straightened up as he turned fully to Markus. "So, Markus, what's your plan?"

As Markus started speaking, Hank couldn't help but notice the sense of peace which had settled inside his heart amongst all the other crap lurking there. There were still two gaping holes of soul-searing grief, the cracks spread wide and the broken organ hanging together by the tiniest of threads. Except those threads numbered many more now: and they were growing stronger. As time went on, they may ever repair some of the damage rather than just cover it.

His fingers ran over Connor's coin and he smiled for the first time in holding it since Connor's death.

_Thanks for helping me find myself again, Connor. I'll never forget you: and I'll never stop trying to make you proud. I'll help build this world into the one you wanted to see, I promise you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... I still can't believe it's actually done. Considering this was meant to be a tragic one-shot, it has evolved into something far bigger, and I can't wait to dive into the second part. I think it will be out pretty sharp (as in, I don't intend on taking a break). I hope you'll all continue along with me and experience the rest of this wild ride.


End file.
